Song of the Moonlight
by secretgal
Summary: AU. Prince Noctis' life is anything but ordinary. The crystal, a war, and politics were his life...until a pianist comes into the picture and changes everything. Noctis/Stella/Lightning love triangle.
1. Overture

_Love and war are the same thing, and stratagems and policy are as allowable in the one as in the other. – Miguel de Cervantes_

_Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent. - Victor Hugo_

Thousands of years in the past, the kingdom of men began to grow and expand across the world of Gaia.

To ensure the kingdoms success, the goddess Etro blessed the original kingdoms each with a crystal, housing her power and strength.

Their aims were to explore and colonize the world. It was believed that men would be a creature of peace.

Yet that ambition was sorely mistaken.

Man was in fact a creature of violence and terrible destruction. And the crystals soon became weapons of war, destroying lives.

One by one, the crystals were destroyed, until one single stone remained. A single connection to the goddess of death and her unimaginable power was left in the world.

By fate, it was held by the kingdom of Tenebrae and the house of Caelum. It was from this recieving of the crystal that led Etro to choose two champions, two royals with the same fate.

The time has come when the choices of the individual will shape the future.


	2. Sonata in the Moon

_Before begining, the musical scale goes C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C or do re mi fa so la ti do, so you can play the notes out on the piano or another instrument.  
All characters, locations, and such are owned by Square Enix._

* * *

It was a clear night. There was nothing that could stop Prince Noctis Caelum from looking out over the majestic city of Tenebrae. From his vantage point, he could see everything in Tenebrae. One sight in particular had caught his interest that night. A young woman he had known before: Princess Stella Fleuret. The two had made acquaintances and were now discussing certain myths and legends, as they had been for some time.

"So, how long have you been able to see the star of the goddess?" Stella asked in her kind, music-like voice. Her long blond hair swished around as she moved around the prince. Her deep purple eyes were fixated on Noctis' dark blue as a sweet smile grew on her flawless face.

"Since I was young," Noctis responded, trying to seem as uninterested as possible. He did enjoy Stella, but he had come to the balcony to escape the crowds of the festivities, not to converse with someone. But he had no choice but to talk with Stella, as she was not letting him leave.

"How about you?"

"Same. As long as I can remember I have been able to see it."

He and Stella shared the same fate. The Goddess of Death had marked them as special, allowing them unimaginable powers but at the cost of their lives. Death would be the inevitable end for the two. "Then, when do you think the goddess will call you?"

"I'm not sure, but I would like to think that it could happen at anytime."

The prince was about to respond when the sound of piano notes crossed his ear.

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa. La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

He knew that tune. It was a song that he had heard so many times as a little boy. Its name escaped him though. But its sound was hypnotizing. His mind became filled with images of events he could not comprehend: the burial of a friend, the branding of a traitor, the discovery of a life changing truth. All the images seemed to be emotional but he had no idea who the people in these visions were.

"Noctis? Are you feeling well?" Stella asked.

Noctis continued to gaze away from the blond woman. All that he focused on was where the location of the song was coming from.

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa. La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

"Noct?"

"St...Stella,' the prince finally awaking from his stupor, "do you hear the sound of a piano?"

"I...I don't know any..."

"Sh. Listen."

Stella tried to listen harder, trying to pinpoint the sound that Noctis was hearing.

_So, Re so, Fa. So, Re so, Fa._

"I hear a piano. But the only piano is on the second floor ballroom, but..."

Not waiting, Noctis quickly walked out of the balcony area, down the metal stairs, making a distinctive echoing sound with each step he took. The steady beats of his shoes were muffled by a higher, quicker pitter-patter of Stella's high heeled shoes. Even though Noctis was walking without breaking a sweat or changing his pattern in breathing, Stella was having some trouble keeping up with the prince.

_So, Re so, Fa. So, Re so, Fa._

As Noctis reached the second floor, he noticed a large gathering of guests and the gradual loudness of the piano. That had to be where the song was coming from. All sorts of people in an array of garments, gowns, and suites were seen. Still ignoring Stella, who had just caught up with him, the prince moved forward.

Approaching a rather large woman in a black glitter dress, he tapped the woman on her shoulder. "Excuse me, do you know who is playing the piano?"

"I have no idea. She just showed up and started playing. Lovely song isn't it." The woman replied.

He finally reached the edge of the crowd and saw what he wanted to see. The piano Stella had been talking about was big, onyx grand piano. It was so polished that he could see the great chandelier hanging above the piano. He then moved to the side of the crowd in order to get a better look at the player. It was indeed a woman, with shoulder length hair, that was slung to one side. Her shoulder was bare, all for a simple silver necklace that appeared to glitter in the refraction crystal light of the chandelier, showing pale, delicate skin. Other than that, he could make out no more details. But they did not need these minor facts. All that mattered was the sound of the piano.

After three more minutes, the song ended. The whole room erupted in applause and cheers. People were screaming 'brava'. A small smile crossed the prince's face. Stella was beaming with joy. The mystery player finally looked up, revealing a pair of light blue eyes and a blushing face. As the crowd continued to applaud the player, she stood up, revealing a long scarlet gown as she carefully bowed to the crowd. She remained standing as guests swarmed forward to greet the mysterious performer. Noctis stood stationary, waiting until the group had dissipated. Stella had decided to leave Noctis and converse with the woman.

Noctis watched as Stella and the woman greeted each other and began talk. The sounds of Stella's giggles began to echo in his ear. He looked up to see the two in a feverish conversation as if they had been sisters. The talking stopped as Noctis saw the two walking hurriedly towards him.

"Noctis," Stella spoke feverishly, "you have to meet Lightning. Noctis this is Lightning. Lightning this is Noctis Caelum."

Trying not to blush or loose his nerves, Noctis extended his hand and shook Lightning's black gloved hand. Her grip was very firm, but steady.

"Hello Noctis," Lightning spoke. Her voice was not as feminine as Stella, but seemed full of intelligence. She seemed to know how to command people. Noctis was taken aback by the voice.

"What song was that?" he asked out of curiosity

"Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27.2. The Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven."

"That's it. Your playing was lovely. I could hear it from the fourth floor."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I was disturbing..."

"No, no it was not a problem at all. It was wonderful. It...reminded me of...certain events." That was all the prince could think of to describe the images he saw in his mind.

"Me too. I always hope that I will remember events and people that I have forgotten."

"I see," Noctis was fascinated by Lightning. She seemed to be from another place or time, perhaps even wiser than he was. Her aqua eyes seemed filled with millions of tiny mysteries that he could loose himself in. Noctis was enchanted by them.

Stella must have also seen that Noctis was engrossed with Lightning. "Well, I think I'll leave you two alone, if that is alright."

Noctis turned to face Stella. "Oh, thank you Stella. It was a pleasure seeing you again." The sound of her high heels echoed on the marble floor. As they faded away, Noctis turned back to Lightning, back into the small puzzles that filled those crystal eyes.


	3. The Waltz Begins

"Um...where are you from?"

Noctis could feel his face grow red as he asked the question.

"Supposedly from the outskirts of Gibanthra. A small town really," Lightning responded, without so much as batting an eyelash. Her speech seemed more controlled, planed even. But Noctis knew the feeling of replying with the same information over and over again. Yet there was something about the use of the word 'supposedly' that caught the prince's attention.

"What do you mean supposedly?" he asked.

Lightning's features softened, her eyes began to fill with hints of sadness and pain. "I have doubts because my memory is poor. I can't remember much past a few years ago, when I was found in the slums of another city. I have no recollection as to what happened in my early life or where my family is."

"I had no idea."

The truth was Lightning's plight was sadly not uncommon. "I've, uh, lived in Tenebrae all my life. I don't like traveling, especially since the war."

The war he was referring to was the war between Tenebrae and that of Algentia, two kingdoms of equal size and influence that had been in a struggle for decades. Thousands of lives had been lost all for the cause of a war that centered on a single crystal. The kingdom, even family, that controlled the crystal controlled the fates of everyone. It had the power to destroy and create, punish and save. If it fell into the wrong hands, unimaginable events could happen. This crystal was, thankfully for some, in the hands of the Caelum family. And it was the job of Noctis to protect this object with his life. He had hated the burden and weight that came with this responsibility, but it also came at the risk of him becoming the target of attention and threats. That included Stella, who was a member of a rival family that had wanted the crystal for some time. Noctis would have to do his best to keep her at an arm's length away from the crystal. Even Lightning he would have to be careful, as there was no one he could trust.

Lightning gently shook her head, causing the strawberry blond mass to sway back and forth. "It's alright. That is the reason I play the piano. For some reason, I must have learned to play in my childhood because I have songs committed to memory. I hope that something I play will perhaps jog my memory as to who I was before the war."

The prince smiled. He was simply amazed at Lightning's character and the reason that she was playing. "Have any memories come back to you?"

"No, not yet."

"Have you, uh, ever been to Tenebrae before?"

Lightning looked at him with a calm expression on her face. "No, this is my first time here in the city. Never imagined that it would be so big. Or so fancy," she softly giggled.

Noctis chuckled. "I bet."

She seemed to be interested in him, but she was not letting him know.

The two then walked together toward one of the great windows in the room that overlooked the entire city. Lightning seemed entranced by the sight as she gazed out over it. Noctis smiled, but only because of Lightning's response. He had always been lucky to see that view since he could remember. To him, it was just an ordinary view. But to Lightning, it was as if she had never seen anything like it.

"What is it like, being a prince?"

"Like having a full time job. What's it like being a musician?"

Lightning giggled, "Like being a painter or writer. I never know what I will play next."

"Could you perhaps play another song for me?"

"Well, just for you" the girl said with a smile. She walked over to the piano, positioned herself on the bench, making sure that her gown was not in the way of feet reaching the petals and stretched her hands out onto the keys. "What would you like me to play?"

"Do you have any more Beethoven?"

Lightning nodded yes. She took a deep breath and then began to play. Soon the soothing sound of a slow musical piece filled the room.

_Mi, Re, Mi, Re, Mi, Ti, Re, Do, La Mi La, Do, Mi, La, Ti, Mi, So..._

The song continued to drift across the ears of the prince, as a peaceful smile grew on his face. He was sure that he had heard the pieces that she was playing many times before, but there was something about the way that she was playing the piece. Lightning was somehow imprinting her own style and character onto the music, as if she had composed it herself.

It was during this reflection that Noctis realized he was letting his guard down. His kingdom was in the middle of a war. No one could be trusted, even the innocent war-torn girl from the slums. Especially someone like Lightning. Though he highly doubted that Lightning could do harm as simple pianist, he feared what _would_ happen. Like Stella, it appeared that Lightning would need to be kept at a distance from him.

It was the constant self isolation that made Noctis dislike being the protector of the crystal. No one, except for a few very select people was trustworthy. He was always looking over shoulder, covering his steps, trimming his relationships. If he were to get hurt, he wanted as few people as possible to suffer. And Noctis was a highly targeted threat. Just a few days earlier, he had singlehandedly fought a platoon of enemy soldiers outside of the palace. Large mobs of army men showing up at the steps of the palace and shrine were becoming a common sight for him. It would be a matter of time before armies personally went after him.

The thoughts swimming through his head ruined his enjoyment of Lightning's performance. He had not even noticed that Lightning had finished playing. The only hint he got was the touch of a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Noctis? Are you alright?"

"Um...yeah. I'm just tired, probably from all the people I've been meeting."

"Oh, of course. It's getting late anyway."

Lightning walked back to the piano, and grabbed a large black purse. Opening it, Lightning placed the numerous musical scores that she had placed on the piano's stand. Noctis noticed that there were four or five other books inside of the case.

"Do you have another plans for the week?" the prince asked.

Lightning stopped packing for a moment and looked up. "I'm actually very busy. I'm booked for about five other parties and a few clubs."

"Perhaps I'll see you again?"

"Hopefully." said Lightning, grabbing the over-sized purse. She then walked over to Noctis. "It was a pleasure meeting you, prince." With that she began to move toward the room's exit.

Noctis quickly realized he was being rude in not escorting her out. "Shall I escort you out?"

Lightning did not turn around until she reached the door. "Thank you, but I'll be fine. Good night Noctis."

"Please, call me Noct. No need to be formal."

She smiled at him once more. "Very well then. Good night Noct." Lightning then closed the door, leaving Noctis alone in the room.

* * *

Soon after Lightning left, Noctis walked out of the ballroom to the elevator. There was no point staying around, seeing that the pianist had disappeared and Stella was nowhere to be found. Moving to the elevator, he fell into the constant rhythm of traveling from one place to another.

His life was a consistent stream of meeting people he would never meet again or care about. It was the 'desirable life' of a prince. If only he could get out of that role. Give the crystal to another person and then come to live life on his own away from this war. Yet it was pointless to wish for another life. Noctis knew he had been given a task, and that he would fulfill that burden until he died.

As he stepped outside, the cool air hit his face, causing him to gasp for breath. The temperature must have dropped thirty degrees since he was last outside. Avoiding the crowds of people who were all gathering he walked on the sidewalk, toward the end of the block. There, he was greeted with a familiar face.

"Noctis."

"Hello Quinn."

Quinn was the prince's planer and driver. He always dressed in a business suite, with his trademark glasses. Though some would think he was a minor inconvenience, Noctis relied on Quinn for advice and always being level headed. Tonight, he was driving the prince home, as it was becoming too dangerous for Noctis to be driving a car, with all of the securities and codes that were in place during the time of war. He was convinced that his father thought he was still too young and fragile to be left on his own.

"So Noctis," Quinn asked as he opened the side door of the sleek limousine, "you stayed late. Anything interesting happen?"

"Nothing much."

Noctis stopped, holding his comments unit Quinn closed the side door, entered into the driver seat, started the car, and was fully moving. "I, uh, met a few people there."

"Oh, who?" Quinn asked, his eyes not leaving the road.

"The first was Princess Stella."

"Interesting, I hope that you used your better judgment when you talked with her. You know that she could be after you for the crystal, with her family roots and all."

"I know, Quinn. I'm already trying to keep her out of my hair. She's a bit too cheery for my taste."

Quinn was going to say something about how opposites attract or how one should never judge a book by its cover, but he pursed his lips and decided not to say anything.

"What about the other person?"

"She a piano player, named Lightning. She's..."

"Impressive?"

"Talented. Very talented."

Noctis gazed out the window, watching as the car passed through a series of tunnels on the way to the palace. "Um, could you do me a favor, Quinn?"

"Of course Noct."

"Can you look up a Lightning for me? I want to see what her background is. You can never be too trusting." Noctis lamented at the fact that he was in a constant state of worry about the state of the crystal. "I will get you the information as soon as I get it."

The rest of ride was spent in silence.

* * *

Lightning, rather than taking the front entrance, had decided to exit the building through the fire exit. A smile crept on her face. She had been expecting to meet some famous people, but she never dreamed that prince Noctis would spend some time with her. This was all too good to be true.

Making sure that no one was around, she walked down a back alleyway down ten blocks and into a small office building. She had a feeling things with the prince would begin moving at an accelerated pace.


	4. A Morning Recitative

Noctis must have fallen asleep in the limousine, as he woke up in his palace bedroom. The great room was decorated fit for a prince, with the main color scheme being royal navy blue. The bed, carpet, chairs, dresser, and desk were all done in an oak and blue style that all matched and fit together. It was elegant but also homely. The enormous room was located in the west wing of the palace, with views that overlooked the vast gardens that covered the south side of the palace. Normally, the garden was full of flowers and green, lush, brushes yet the first frost of the year had dulled the green yard.

Looking around, Noctis decided that he had slept long enough and that it was time to get up. Everything was in order…except for the fact that the entrance to his room was slightly ajar and there was an oddly shaped shadow that lingered on the floor. Concentrating on shadow, he decided to focus on listening.

"Shhh. Shut up. I'm trying to scare Noct."

"Oh, like that'll work today. How many times have you tried this Adrian?"

"At least once every day for the past few years, BUT today's the day. I know it."

Noctis knew exactly who was behind the door: Adrian and Rex, his self appointed body guards and friends. Those two were like brothers with each other, constantly playing, goofing off, and making Quinn's life a living nightmare. Yet the prince always counted on them for being constantly loyal and kind to him.

So to show his love, Noctis decided to play along with their little game.

He tiptoed over to the door, making sure that the two behind the door had no idea he was there, positioning himself with his hand on the ornate brass knob.

"I'm going in Rex on 3.

"1…2…3!"

As Adrian yelled on three, he ran to open the door in an attempt to bust it wide open, screaming at the top of his lungs. But Noctis was prepared and he pulled the door open. Unable to stop himself, Adrian ran full force into the bedroom and into the dark oak foot board of the bed, the impact of which knocked the young mad to the ground. All that the fool could say was a pained, "ooohhhhhhh."

Over that came the deep, laughs of Rex, who was bent over, laughing. "Ah…ah…oh man, that's AMAZING!" Noctis revealed his position from behind the door, and smiled at the blond boy who was lying on the ground.

"Good morning Adrian, Rex," he spoke with a smile on his face.

"Hey Noct!" replied Rex, waving one of his large hands in the air. "Just wanted to say hi! Heard you met some people at the party last night."

The two started to walk out of Noctis' private quarters into the main area of the palace's west wing, completely ignoring Adrian, who was trying to regain his footing. He would eventually catch up with them.

"Yeah, there were a few people."

"Care to name a few."

"Well…" Noctis was going to list off everyone, but decided to tell Rex the only two worth mentioning, "there were two ladies."

"Oh, do tell."

"Princess Stella…"

"That girl, man she is cute isn't she? I swear she's like a little drop of sunshine." Noctis rolled his eyes, as did Rex. "I'm kidding about the sunshine but seriously, she is cute. And the other lady is?"

The echoing sound of running footsteps filled the air. It was then followed by an 'humph' from Rex as Adrian had apparently caught up to the two and was now piggy backing on his friend. "What's this about girls?!"

"Get off me!" Rex playfully groaned as Adrian jumped down off of his friend's back. The blond did that and then squeezed his way in between Noctis and Rex.

"You were saying Noct," Rex spoke as he gestured for Noctis to continue talking about the party.

"The second was a pianist named Lightning."

"That's a dumb name," Adrian pointed out. "What is it with parents and naming there kids after natural things. What, are her brothers named Cloud and Squall?"

Rex laughed and Noctis smirked.

"Can't be as bad as naming a kid Adrian," Rex said.

"Ha, yea…HEY!" Adrian then tried to land a punch on Rex, but he was blocked. He then realized it was pointless to fight against a guy taller than him.

"Is she cute?" Rex asked.

"I thought so," Noctis responded.

"No way she's cuter than Stella!" Adrian said.

The prince looked up to see the large oak doors to the dinning room.

"Sorry guys, I'll fill you in on the details later."

He then walked into the room.

"Bye Noct!"

"See you soon!"

Finally, a moment of peace. The prince walked down to the end of the great maple table and took a seat at the far end. Instantly, a wave of greetings filled the room, as Noctis was served breakfast. Within two minutes, a hearty meal was on the table and the prince dismissed those who were serving him. Shortly after that, a small knock came at the door.

"Come in."

Noctis hoped that it was not Adrian or Rex again, for the sake of his health.

"Good Morning Noctis."

"Hello Quinn," the driver quickly bowed and then walked over to the prince. In his hand was a pale folder, which he handed to Noctis.

"Here is all the information I could find about a Lightning pianist."

"Thank you, Quinn."

At that Quinn left the room, leaving Noctis alone once again. He took a sip of tea, and decided to read the folder over breakfast. Inside it were a few pages, written in the official style of Gibanthra's government.

**Name:** Lightning*  
**Height:** 5'11  
**Weight:** 157 pounds  
**Age:** 19*  
**Birth-date:** June 3*

**Birthplace:** Gibanthra  
Abilities: Has skill on piano and an incredible short and long term memory despite lack of recollection about childhood. Is agile and nimble, could have been a gymnast.

**Background:** Subject somehow has suffered from a loss of memory. Though the cause is unknown, we believe that she suffered either trauma on her head or lost her memory due to a stress disorder. Relatives are unknown at this time. Doubtable if they are alive. Found in a refugee camp at the age of ten. Has been raised by multiple families in Gibanthra state. Employed in a musician job and is currently gaining a following as a pianist.  
*Information was assumed by officials after a thorough examination of person.

The other papers were mostly filled with rewrites of the same information, pictures of Lightning at different ages, doctor reports, x-rays of her skull, and various a DNA profile. From what Noctis saw, Lightning was clean. Gibanthra had been a known ally of Tenebrae, though the kingdom had failed to protect its people during a particular battle.

Still, there was no reason to assume Lightning was completely innocent. The information about her was scant and there was nothing wrong in keeping her separate from his personal life. Noctis would certainly see her again, but he hoped that his intrigue and curiosity about her would be kept at bay.

**

* * *

**

The following morning, Lightning had decided to practice on the instrument at a club not too far from her apartment. She liked the feel of the club's piano, its timber and sound. It was an old piano, worn down from much use, but that is what made the piano sound so lovely.

Lightning had decided to practice some Bach for the morning. She would play for the club later in the evening with mostly jazz and smooth, soft rock type pieces. Those were fun to perform, but not her taste. The classics suited her much more.

Without even blinking, Lightning began to play random pieces from the _Well-Tempered Clavicle_. She loved the way that music demanded the player to run his or her fingers up and down the key board. It forced the musician to be both nimble and precise in the performing of these pieces. One misplaced finger, and the piece would be destroyed. So to keep her focus, Lightning put everything into trying to remember each note, each fingering, each accidental.

She had been so engrossed in the playing that she did not notice the soft sound of footsteps. Lightning continued without the knowledge that she was being watched. That was until she finished the piece and the sound of clapping crossed her ears. Confused, she looked out into the audience to see a familiar face from the previous night. Stella!

"That was incredible Lightning," the princess praised with a kind smile on her face.

Lightning slightly blushed. She was happy to see Stella dressed in a more relaxed outfit. Her attire consisted of well cut indigo dyed jean plants, a simple white spaghetti strap top, and black high-heeled shoes. A simple silver necklace and matching charm bracelet accented her neck and wrist.

"How did you find me again, princess?" Lightning asked.

"Please, just call me Stella." Stella pulled a chair from the ground floor up onto the stage and placed it next to the piano's bench. "I just in town and I heard the music and decided to see who it was. Turns out it was you!"

Lightning nodded. "Lucky you."

"Yeah. So what happened after I left last night?"

"What?"

"You know. I left the ballroom and you and Noctis seemed to hit it off."

"Oh, him. It wouldn't call it that. We just talked."

"About…"

"About music, the city, nothing really that interesting Stella."

"Still, to get that from Prince Noctis is impressive. He rarely talks."

"In comparison to you, yes, he's quite."

Stella blushed at that comment.

"I didn't mean to insult you…" Lightning began apologetically.

"Don't worry, I get that a lot. I talk too much for my own good."

"I think I listen too much for my own good."

"Well, you should be very proud of yourself: you've gotten Noctis to speak for an extended period of time. You should get a medal for that."

Lightning smiled. Stella was not much of a listener, but she had a cheery personality.

"Stella, did something happen with Noctis to make him be so introverted?"

Stella's face softened. "To be honest, I think it's a lot of factors. The war is one. I've also heard that his father, King Giovanni Caelum, is very demanding of his only son. It doesn't help that he's responsible…" Stella bit her tongue then. She almost said 'crystal'. It was a highly guarded secret that only a few well informed circle of people knew who actually guarded the gem. Though Stella's family was a rival of Noctis', they both lived in Tenebrae and if anything happened to the crystal, the city and kingdom would suffer greatly.

"Responsible for what?" Lightning was now curious.

"Responsible for…his people's well being. It's too much for anyone to deal with."

"Oh, of course."

There was a moment of silence as the two were unsure of what to say next.

"Lightning, would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Lunch. When?"

"Now, come on." Summoning some sort of supernatural strength, the princess pulled Lightning out of her seat and off the stage.

"I…I…really shouldn't Stella."

"Nonsense, it will be fun. Just the two of us girls."

Lightning sighed and decided to just go with it as Stella dragged her out of the club.

**

* * *

Author's Note: **I got a review in chapter 1 that claimed I was the first person to write with Lightning and Stella being friends. I find that surprising because it would follow that if Lightning was in the FFVXIII universe, she should have interactions with the other characters as well.

Stella intrigues me because she is the conceptual opposite of Noctis and it is interesting to see the protective and private Lightning interact with someone more extroverted, like Sazh, Vanille or Stella, in this case.

The music used here is The Well Tempered Clavicle by Bach.

Also, the names of Adrian – shot-gun guy – and Rex - scar guy - are my own names.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed the previous chapters: **flower on thewind, Dawn, Lonely** **Moon Luna Sola, LadyInPurple**, and **SunflowerWielder**. Thanks guys! You're all so awesome!

Also, everything is owned by Square Enix.


	5. Political Chant

By mid afternoon, Quinn was driving Noctis to meet with his father, King Giovanni Andros Caelum. He always met with his father once a week each Wednesday at noon to discuss political affairs, the crystal, and business matters.

The father and son presently had a very weird relationship. When Noctis was younger, he and his father shared an incredible bond with each other. It was indescribable, a bond of complete love and passion. Giovanni would do anything to protect his only son. He had been greatly affected when Noctis' mother, Lucia, passed away. It deeply affected the man and Giovanni centered his life on his only son.

Those days were short lived though. When Noctis was eight, Giovanni was crowned King; the kingdom became his new son. Noctis was still in the picture, as he was given the title of prince. Around that time, the last crystal known crystal was discovered and presented to the Kingdom of Tenebrae and the Caelum family. The young prince was placed with the burden of one day personally guarding the crystal. That year was also noted by Noctis as being the time when the Goddess of Death, Etro, had appeared to him and blessed him with the powers of the dead.

By the time he was thirteen and assumed his duty of safeguarding the crystal, he was a trained warrior, swordsmen, and gunman. The cost of this power was a shortened life and the loss of his childhood. Few people knew about his blessing, even fewer that the prince would not live past the age of thirty – that secret was unknown even to the prince's father and only Princess Stella had figured that information out on her own. Yet everyone saw the transformations of character and behavior. In about five years, Noctis had transformed from a carefree youth, to a man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He acted and thought like a fifty year-old man.

Meanwhile, King Caelum had begun an expansion into the other world's kingdoms. His goal was to make the Kingdom on Tenebrae the greatest power in the known world and create a dynasty. This expansion required an enormous war effort as the kingdom was consumed by the effort to battle the other nations. In response, the smaller enemy kingdoms had become a united force with the larger kingdom of Algentia, congealing into a single entity known as the Algentian Alliance.

The group's main focus of attack had been the crystal, which was rumored to be what gave the Caelum family its power. Nearly the instant Noctis had been given protection over the crystal, the stone was constantly under threat and attack. But each time, the prince had successfully repelled the enemies out. Yet there would come a day when he would not be there, and the future of Tenebrae and the Caelum family would be in jeopardy.

So it was, Giovanni continued to expand and Noctis knew that he would never see the fruits of his father's work.

After thirty minuets of driving, Quinn halted the vehicle in front of his father's work place. Rather than conduct business in the palace as Giovanni's fathers had, all meetings were held in an enormous, two towered, gothic skyscraper. It was an imposing structure that pierced the skyline of Tenebrae. All eyes, directions, power, and rules came from that single focal point, exactly as Giovanni wanted.

As the prince exited the car, he did not bother to look at the crowds of people who had gathered around the entrance in an attempt to catch a glimpse of someone famous. He ignored the cries, clicks of cameras, and cheers as he climbed the stairs. Unlike Stella, who loved being watched, Noctis hated the public eye: always judging and finding fault with the prince's every move. He was too handsome, too quite, too cold, too stern…everything about him was wrong.

Ignoring the mob, he entered the great structure and made his way to the passage way that contained the private elevators that traveled to the top floors. Finding the proper one, he scanned both his finger and eye. The security system recognized him and the elevator doors opened immediately. He entered, pushed the button for the 8t0th floor.

The top three floors, 78th, 79th and 80th was King Giovanni's and the main government headquarters. All of the policies, political actions, battle plans, and court rulings took place on those three floors. Scattered around those floors were miles of paper documents and information about the government. Being so important, it was also the most heavily guarded area in the entire kingdom, with the highest security measures and guards that one could imagine. Breaking in to those offices was impossible.

A high pitched 'ding' signaled that the elevator had arrived at its destination. As Noctis exited, he made sure that he looked presentable for his father. He was wearing a well fitted tux, with black buttoned shirt and deep blue tie. The prince looked like a business man, exactly what his father wanted.

He then instinctively walked to the right, and came to a large steel cased door. It was decorated with square blocks. Each was indented into the steel. Inside each square was the Caelum family crest: a great angel hovering above the body of a mighty wolf. There was a certain history behind the image, but Noctis had never cared to ask about its meaning.

Beside the massive entrance was a pair of imperial guards, armed with great swords and silver body armor, metal shields, and a banner of the city of Tenebrae. Further from the door was a woman, with chin length blond hair and lovely brown eyes, with a deep gray, low cut dress suit and matching high-heeled shoes. She was sitting behind a black wood desk covered with papers, a phone, and a computer. Noctis walked up to the desk.

"Hello, Elena."

The woman looked up and smiled. "Hello your highness. I'll let His Majesty know you're here."

Noctis politely thanked her, and he remained standing in front of the desk. He watched as Elena typed the proper numbers into the metal colored phone on the desk. "Sorry to interrupt you, your Highness. I want to let you know that Prince Noctis is outside waiting for you. Very well. I'll let him in. Thank you, your Majesty."

She placed the phone back on the receiver and reached underneath the desk to switch a small button.

"King Caelum will see you now, your highness."

Noctis politely nodded at Elena. He then watched as the enormous doors opened automatically. It was a slow process, but it was smooth enough to allow his eyes to adjust to the flood of sunlight that escaped the room from the great window at the side of the area.

The throne room was originally used as a cathedral. All of the original architecture remained the same. The floor and walls were made of a light gray marble that almost seemed white if one were to look at it long enough. The room itself was at least three stories high. Two of those stories were adorned with the marble stone. The walls were decorated great triangular arches, whose inner walls had black stained glass windows. The remaining third of the room was composed of black metal archways that were smaller in size compared to the larger white ones. Every nine archways, there was a marble and steel pillar that was topped with a single seraphim statue, each holding a candelabra of six lights. Handing from the ceiling was a steel caged chandelier the broke the rays of light in certain areas of the room. At the very end was a large square table, with feet and decorations that matched the archways around the room. On the left and right sides were a number of advisers, each dressed in matching business attire. Facing the doorway at the end of the room was a black steel throne, where King Caelum sat.

The prince waited until the doors were fully opened to enter the room. He walked to the half way point in the room, and knelled down. The room was completely silent.

"Dismissed," came the deep, voice of King Giovanni.

All of the advisers sitting at the table immediately stood up. They then exited the room, the sound of their shoes echoing across the marble floor. The great doors then shut, giving Noctis and the king privacy. The prince remained on the ground as Giovanni rose from his throne.

"Good afternoon, Noctis."

The prince then stood up. "Hello father."

"Come, sit down." Giovanni motioned for his son to sit in the chair nearest to the throne. Noctis obeyed. His father had a very commanding presence. He always wore the finest suits in the world, with a silk tie, a square handkerchief folded in a triangle always in his breast pocket. His black hair was flecked with silver streaks, showing the effects of the burden of his kingdom. His stern face was worn down with distinguishable wrinkles on his brow and cheeks. Yet he always seemed in control and composed, no matter what happened.

"How is the war?" Noctis always asked that question at the start of every meeting with his father. It was the only thing that was on the king's mind.

"It is well. There's a stalemate occurring between our forces and the enemy in Nibelheim. It will be back in our hold once again though." Giovanni paused, signaling he was done talking. It was impolite for anyone to interrupt the king.

"That's good."

"And the ruler of Ivalice has decided to surrender his territory to join Tenebrae. That is important because they hold access to the Jagd and the territory of Dalmasca. I will be meeting with him in a month to personally discus the terms of his surrender.

"That will certainly save lives and allow for more arms to be used against the Algentian forces."

Noctis smiled, trying to seem as interested as possible with his father's talk.

"How has the crystal been?"

It was Noctis' turn to report to his father. "It is safe and being protected."

"Excellent. Everything is going wonderfully." Giovanni smiled. "Oh, I learned from Quinn that you attended the Lockheart family's ball last night."

Noctis hated it when Quinn reported information to his father. The prince wanted to tell things to his father with his own words. He rarely saw him anymore, and very moment with him was important.

"Yes. What else did Quinn say?"

"He, um, mentioned two ladies: Princess Stella and a Ms. Lightning."

Here it comes: the 'stay away from women because they will only break your heart' speech.

"I think that it is wonderful that you are meeting other people Noctis, but…"

Of course there was a catch.

"I want to make sure that you don't let them use you."

Noctis took a risk by speaking. "I know. That is why I plan to keep Stella a safe distance from me, and I have already looked over a background check for Lightning. And I am making sure that she is also a distraction."

Giovanni looked at Noctis was surprise. Blinking his eyes, he tried to regain his focus. "You…you did that already?"

"Yes."

The king smiled, placing one of his hands on Noctis' shoulder. "Very well then. I trust that you will know what to do next."

Noctis then stood up, and bowed realizing that his father had important matters to discuss.

"Noctis?" his father spoke, as the prince had almost reached end of the table. "I want you to know that no matter what, I have you best interest in mind."

"I know," Noctis coolly responded. His 'best interest' was to continue expanding and strengthening Tenebrae, continuing the war to gain a kingdom that Noctis knew would surely disintegrate after he passed away. Noctis did not care for power or war, or even to be a prince. He was not exactly sure what he wanted with his life, but he knew that it was not the life he was living now.

Silence filled the court once again. It was broken by the humming of the opening steel doors and the footsteps of Noctis and the returning advisers. He refused to look back as he walked out of the room, into the hall, and into a waiting elevator. As it descended, Noctis closed his eyes, wishing that life was not so complicated.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A lot of the locations in this chapter are from the Cloud DVD trailer, so you can google those is you want to see images of the room I'm talking about.

Thanks to flower on thewind, .Angel, Lonely Moon Luna Sola, and the ever loved SunflowerWeilder for reviewing and commenting.

All characters, areas, and such are the property of Square Enix.


	6. Tea Party

Lightning and Stella arrived at the princess' home by noon. Her family had taken residence in a lovely, French Château styled manor with walls of ivy covering most of the lovely granite stone walls and circular towers. Peering intermittently out of the coating of ivy were the home's oval windows, all of which were made of diamond shaped glass. The whole estate seemed warm and inviting but also grand, like one had stumbled on a fairytale castle. The setting was enhanced further by the multiple gardens that seemed to cover the entire ground.

As the car stopped in front of the manor's front fountain, a smiling Stella hoped out and pulled Lightning out with her. She then began to give an informal tour of the entire estate.

"So this is where I live," Stella began, with a proud and thrilled expression on her face.

"Wo…wow!" Lightning exclaimed, looking at the lovely surroundings.

"Come on, Lightning, I'll take you to the back garden."

Bypassing the inside of the house, Stella guided Lightning around the emerald colored hedged bushes, like an explorer through a maze. Lightning thought she was in a jungle, but she did not panic since Stella appeared to know where she was going. The princess said little as she guided her guest around the estate.

After a few minutes, the two finally reached the center of the area. Stella then spoke. "Here we are!" Stella was unmoved by the sight, but Lightning was shocked.

Lightning looked up to see a stone patio. Made of the same granite, it was positioned on the second story of the home, with a set of elegant stairs that passed on the left and right side of the sitting area, jutting out from the sides of the building. Those stairs meet the ground on either side of a great, rectangular stone pool that stretched across the length of the area. It was a deep aqua color, dotted by lush lily pads that glided across the surface. Lightning swore she sighted a few fish swimming in the water. The water met the outer wall of the stone patio, where a waterfall was built into the area. On the perimeter of the pool were two parallel pathways that met the stair.

"Follow me," Stella spoke interrupting Lightning's viewing of the area. "We'll have tea outside on the patio."

The two then took one of the paths up to the balcony that overlooked the entire ground. At the top of the stairs, three maids politely bowed to the princess and her guest.

"What can I do for you my lady?" one of the women asked.

"Lightning and I would like to have tea together. Use the regular china, make sure no one disturbs us, and prepare some of the Angel Falls Mist."

"An excellent choice. I will be right by my lady."

The maids bowed and walked into the house. Stella then showed Lightning over to a table, set for two that was located so that it gave one the best view of the area. Lighting was the first to sit.

"Stella, this is all so beautiful," Lightning commented with awe as Stella took her seat opposite the guest.

"My mother's idea," Stella answered as she located her seat. "She thinks that the city is not close enough to the natural world. So she insisted on flowers and gardens all four seasons of the year."

Lightning smiled. She had never seen so many exotic flowers and trees.

Stella gazed over the garden, a small hint of disappointment in her face. "Too bad we'll have an early winter. They'll all wither."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that."

"It's a shame. But the flowers always return in the spring in full bloom. I'll have to show you that when the time comes."

One of the maids approached their table with a silver tea pot and two white tea cups with delicate gold and ruby flowers painted on the rims and bottom of each rim. Each made a small clinking sound as she placed the cups, a pitcher of cream, a bowl of sugar cubes, and the proper silverware in front of the two women. Everything being set, she then took the silver pot, and poured the tea. Lightning was taken aback that the tea was pink in color. Of course, knowing Stella, it was an appropriate color.

"Anything else I can do for you miss?" the maid asked.

"That will be all. Thank you." Stella responded. The complied and walked away from the table.

The princess then smiled at Lightning.

"Try it."

Lightning obeyed and gingerly brought the teacup to her lips, careful not to burn herself. She then got a taste of the tea: a mix of fruit and sweetness that made her smile. "It's delicious."

"I'm glad you like it," the princess smiled with pleasure.

The two then enjoyed a few moments of peace and quiet, as they reveled in the taste of the lovely tea.

Stella then broke the silence. "So…do you like Tenebrae?"

"I do," Lightning responded. "I've never seen a city so big before."

"It is impressive. All thanks to the might King Giovanni Caelum."

"That's Noctis' father right?"

"Correct."

"Is there a Queen Caelum?"

"There was," Stella began. "Lucia passed away sometime ago. Since then, I think Giovanni has been too protective of his son."

"Is that because he is the only heir?"

"Um hum," Stella nodded in agreement. "He refuses to remarry, out of respect for his late wife. As a result, Noctis is all he has."

Lightning thought about that for a moment. _If I were too do what I was intended to do, would it cause more harm than good?_

"That protectiveness also means that the King is being very careful in choosing a wife for his son," Stella added.

"He's having an arranged marriage?"

Lightning was surprised. She had thought those types of marriages no longer took place.

"Of course, and Giovanni will be controlling every aspect of it, once he gets around to choosing a wife. The only reason for that careful selection is political reasoning. He was hoping for a princess from a family in Algentia, but tension has been rather high at the moment."

"The war?"

"Yes." Stella looked down, avoiding eye contact with her guest.

The truth was, the princess wanted to be with Noctis. She had been eyeing him for sometime. Unfortunately, her birth into the Fleuret family made any chance of that marriage impossible. Though her father had remained loyal to Giovanni, he also declared that the Caleum's crystal would be his.

When Stella was eight, he had succeeded in stealing the gem. However, something went wrong. She did not know how, but the stealing of that crystal had caused the goddess of death to give her the inheritance of great powers that rivaled Noctis. The gift had caused the princess to fall into a comma and her father decided that the crystal was dangerous and returned it to Giovanni. His punishment was not severe, but tension between the Caleum's and the Fleuret's had been damaged.

Still, she cared so much for Noctis. She would do anything to be with him.

"Are…are you alright Stella?" Lightning asked.

"Oh, oh yes," Stella flubbed, forgetting that she had a guest. "I was just thinking."

The princess then smiled and raised her teacup. "Well, shall we have a toast?"

Lightning smiled and then raised her teacup too. "To women?"

"To women!"

They then moved their cups together, making a slight clink. The two then giggled and sipped their tea.

_And Noctis_, Stella thought to herself.


	7. Duet of Life

Noctis arrived at the Caelum palace by late afternoon. It was too late for him to make any arrangements, so he would have to spend the rest of the afternoon at the palace. He thought he could spend the rest of the day in peace. That was until Quinn stopped the limousine halfway up the driveway.

"What in the world…" he exited the car, distracted by something.

Noctis also exited the car. Looking around, he saw Quinn stomping over to the familiar figures of Rex and Adrian, who were holding a gold colored vase and were playing hot potato with it.

"WHAT ON GAIA ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING!"

Quinn's yell was startling enough for Adrian and Rex to stop messing with the vase. Unfortunately, Rex had already thrown the vase before Quinn yelled and it was now in the air. And unfortunately for Adrian, he was too distracted by Quinn's stream to pay attention to the vase. And unfortunately for the vase, it flew over Adrian's head and landed on the ground, shattering into dozens of cracked pieces.

As the sound of broken china echoed in the air, Rex instantly yelled, "It was Adrian's idea" and pointed his index finger at his young blond companion.

"No, no, no" was Adrian's plea. "It was Rex! Come-on Quinn, you know I could not have thought this up myself!"

"YOU TWO ARE SO DEAD" screamed Quinn. He was not amused by the two men's behavior and ran over to them and grabbed each by an ear, muttering something about them working for a week in the kitchen, laundry room, and car cleaning. This was on top of the consistent cries of _ow_.

Noctis had remained in the background for this. It was just like Adrian and Rex to somehow find a way to get into trouble. They were like a pair of four year old boys trapped in the bodies of a eighteen and seventeen year-old teen. If they were not so entertaining, Noctis would have started ignoring those two years ago.

And Quinn…always the father figure. He was always looking out for others, not caring about himself. Everything he did was done with speed and perfection. Dependable and reliable, without Quinn, Noctis was not sure where he would be.

Smiling, he decided to leave Quinn alone with the troublemakers and chose to walk the rest of the way up the driveway to the palace's entrance, even though it was now terribly cold. Glancing at the sky, he noticed the tell tale steel gray cloud that signaled winter Tenebrae had finally arrived.

A small ring came from his pocket. He pulled his cell-phone out of is thick charcoal colored coat pocket, and looked at the caller ID. It was Stella. _So much for trying to keep her at a safe distance_, he thought to himself.

"Hello" he answered.

He then heard Stella's constant joyful voice fill his ears. "Hi Noct!"

"How are you Stella?"

"I'm well. How was the meeting with your father?"

"Same as always. He, um, mentioned you and Lightning."

"Did he learn that from Quinn?"

"Yeah. Kind of annoyed me because I wanted to tell him myself."

"Well, that is his job Noct: keep your father informed."

"I know, I know." Noctis realized he needed to change the topic quickly. "So…how was your day?"

"I had tea with Lightning."

"Really, how did you get her to do that?"

Stella giggled. "I have my ways. And before you ask, I invited her."

"Good." There was a slight pause before Stella began again.

"Noct, would you be interested in going to see Lightning perform again?"

"Is she playing?"

"She's playing at the Bevelle Night Club next Saturday night. I was going to attend but a last minuet event came up."

She was lying. It was too convenient for something like that to happen. Stella was always careful about scheduling things so she could attend as many events as possible. At one time, she went to three different events in the same night and made a decent showing at each. For her to not attend this, something was up. "That's not true Stella. You want to go but you're afraid of being in the same place with me, right?"

Another pause. "Sort of..."

It was well known by the prince that Stella had feelings for him and made no attempt to hide it from him. Noctis, on the other hand, was unsure. Stella was attractive and joyful, and he certainly cared about her, especially with her being connected to the goddess.

Did he love Stella? No.

Lightning, however, intrigued him. He was unsure what it was about her. Her eyes, face…there was something about her that made her more interesting than Stella. But these feelings were not that of love. It was more curiosity than attraction.

Yet while they were not in a relationship, Stella was still a good friend, a sister even, to Noctis. "I'll go Stella."

"Thanks Noctis. I really appreciate it."

"Goodbye Stella." With that he closed the phone.

Just when he thought Lightning was out of his head, she came right back in. It seemed like ever since meeting her, the pianist could not leave his head. He wanted to be with Lightning, to learn more about her. But…there was no way his father would approve of Lightning. Yet there was nothing wrong with thinking of her as an acquaintance.

With that thought, Noctis walked into the palace.

**

* * *

**

_The following Friday..._

Looking at her schedule, Lightning noted that she had been hired to play at the Bevelle Night Club from 7 to 10 tomorrow. She had all day to herself, which she would spend practicing the piano and doing a few chores.

The pianist had an apartment in a nice area of Tenebrae in a converted office building. Though it seemed abandoned, it was actually a homely place. It had a small kitchenette, sitting and dining room, a full bathroom, and two bedrooms. There was even a small balcony that gave her a view of downtown Tenebrae. Though Lightning would have preferred a larger kitchen, and she hated being on the top floor with no elevator traveling to the 13th floor, the room had an upright piano already in it. In her mind, a cramped kitchen was enough of a sacrifice to have a real piano in her room.

Lightning had just finished cleaning a few of the scant number of dishes. Glancing out the window, she saw thick white snow flakes falling from the sky.

Smirking, she turned off the water in the stainless steel sink, dried her hands with a blue washcloth, and walked over to the window. It was quite unusual for her to see snow around this time of the year or even see snow at all. Perhaps Tenebrae wasn't as bad as she had originally assumed.

A week had past since her afternoon tea with Stella. She had received a few calls from the princess, yet nothing from Noctis. The two had set up trips to the mall, a few more afternoons for tea, and even a sight seeing tour of Tenebrae. Stella said she would even attend her performance at Bevelle. It was very generous of the princess to spend so much time with Lightning. While that was wonderful, Lightning could tell that Stella was hiding something. She was unsure of what, but at certain moments, Stella appeared to be struggling with a deep secret.

Just like…him.

Lightning scoffed. For some reason all of her inner thoughts and observations led back to Noctis. The comments usually came in the form of _that's just like him_, or _Noctis is much more handsome_, or _he does a better job_, or anything. It was weird. Lightning just could not get the prince out of her head. She had no idea what the feelings she had for him were or what was making her think about him. But it was dangerous for her to get close to him.

He was lucky acquaintance. A little boost for what her plans were in Tenebrae. Nothing more, nothing less.

Her cell phone started to ring. Lightning had placed it on the dining room table while she was cleaning. Sighing that her focus was drawn away from the snow, she reluctantly walked over to the phone.

Grasping it in her hand she checked the number of the caller: _800-555-0186_. It was a familiar number to the pianist. After an extra ring, she pressed a button on the phone's screen and started to talk.

"Hello."

A deep, commanding male voice came over the phone. She began to pace around the room.

"I'm fine. Taking every precaution necessary to stay healthy and alert."

The caller quickly replied with a question, like he was going down a checklist.

"Yes, everything is in order."

Her face remained in a frown as she listened to the person.

"I don't think that was on the original list."

She continued to walk in a circle around the room.

"I have a list. Don't worry; I'll make sure to add that to it."

She then walked over her makeshift study table at the end of a hallway that separated the bed and bath rooms from the rest of the apartment. Reaching the table, she located a pen and a piece of newspaper, and then scribbled _#2469-0A6K (Op. DA351 Code Name: Storm)_ in a corner of the paper.

The man continued to talk to Lightning as if she were a child. She knew that he was keep everything in order, but Lightning was very capable of taking care of herself.

"I know what to do, alright."

The person apologized.

"Fine, when should I hit the target?"

Lightning waited for an answer.

"A week from now? Fine. I still need the scans though."

The man started to explain something, but Lightning was too annoyed to let him finish his sentence.

"Well, if I don't have that information, you're plans are going to be hard to complete now, will they? Do you want the information or not?!"

Apologizes began to flood Lightning's ears.

"Look, I needed those documents a month ago. And without them, I'm afraid that there is no way for me to do what I need to do. Just get them to me ASAP."

The voice promised to send her the data and then abruptly changed topics.

"The prince?" Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I've met with him. But how would you…"

Her eyes widened and a smirk formed on her face.

"Did he now? So he did some homework. I'll be sure to keep that in mind, but at this point, I think he suspects nothing."

The voice agreed with her.

"Don't worry about me. You can count on me to take care of everything."

With that the man wished Lightning farewell.

"Goodbye sir."

She turned off the phone. Lightning was surprised with what she had just learned. It was just another piece of a tangled web that she would have to ignore for now.

In the next week, her life was about to get a little more hectic.

**

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**

**Author's Note: **The plot thickens. Love feedback and suggestions! Thanks to the ever loved **sunflowerWeilder **and **flower on theWind **for feedback!

All characters and locations are the property of Square Enix


	8. The First Melodies

"Are you sure this is the place?" Noctis asked as he looked out of the window towards a small building with the name _Bevelle Night Club_. The snow that had been falling throughout the day had finally stopped, leaving a trail of fresh crisp snow on the ground around the city. And on a night like this, with a fully exposed moon, the pure snow had a blue tint to it.

Quinn turned around from his seat in the driver position to face the prince. "Prince Noctis, I have double checked the information that Princess Stella gave you. I called the club three times. I got directions from multiple sources. So I can say without a doubt that **this** is where Lightning is performing."

Noctis sighed. "I'm sorry. I've just been really anxious to see Lightning again."

"I've noticed." Quinn replied as he pressed a button of the car's dashboard that turned the vehicles warning lights on. "You've never taken so much interest in a person before. What is it about this girl that intrigues you so much?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that question myself." He shifted his eyes to the ground. "But, hopefully tonight I will get a few answers."

"I hope you do too Noct." Quinn spoke with optimism. "I'll be waiting for you right here."

"Thanks Quinn."

Noctis then exited the car, shifting his long wool coat around his body so that he could remain as warm as possible. The crunching sound of the fallen snow filled the air. His exhaling breaths created a miniature puff of fog against the cool air. Though it was less than twenty feet from the car to the entrance of the club, his whole body felt like it had frozen over.

Entering the club he was greeted with the welcoming warmth of people and heating. The entire club had been designed with deeps reds and turquoise blues, with hints of gold that gleamed in the darkened place. Tonight it was quite busy, just enough people were there for him to slip by unnoticed.

He took a seat at an empty table near the middle of the room, trying his best to blend in with the crowd. Glancing up at the stage to his front, Noctis noticed a grand piano. He saw that it was not as well maintained as the one at the Lockheart's ball as all of the scrapes and dents clearly visible in the dimmed light of the club.

Looking at his watch, the prince saw that Lightning should have been on stage now. It was already 7:16 and she was nowhere to be seen. He sighed and shifted in his seat a few times. The prince was usually had a great amount of patience, but Lightning had inexplicably made him nervous.

It was just another piece of intrigue that surrounded the pianist.

A few minutes later, she finally stepped on the stage. She was wearing a strapless onyx dress that ended at Lightning's knees and was layered with drops of silver beads that were gradually sewn into the lower part of the gown. The pianist wore short healed shoes that made a delicate clopping sound as she walked across the stage. In her hand were yellowed pieces of paper that had to be the musical scores. Lightning soon reached the piano and has taken a seat on the instrument's stool, stretched her fingers and began to play.

_Do Re Do Mi, Mi Ti Do Ti Re…_

Noctis relaxed, a calm smile growing on his face. There was something about the way that Lightning was playing. It was so personal, as if she was pouring her heart and soul into the performance of this composition. Watching her hands delicately move across the keyboard with grace and care, each note like the stroke of a pen.

Closing his eyes, Noctis let the sound of the piano fill his mind. It was the only thing he could focus on. Out of that concentration to the sound came an image.

_A little girl was running up to someone…a boy who was laughing at her. The girl had light blond hair and was smiling. Behind her, a great mountain range. On her face was an enormous smile._

Noctis opened his eyes. _What was that_, he thought to himself. He could have sworn the girl he saw there was Lightning. Albeit, a younger version of the pianist before him; but it was her. Without a doubt. The boy, however, he was unfamiliar with.

It was just like the first time he had heard Lightning perform at the ball. He saw images there. Could it…was it even possible? Could he have witnessed a piece of the pianists' lost childhood?

He glanced around the room, trying to see if perhaps anyone else had seen what he saw. All he saw were blank faces that were listening to Lightning. Noctis tried to refocus his mind on the music, but he was unable to.

He needed some space.

**

* * *

**

Noctis decided to spend some time outside of the club. Snow was falling from the sky, tickling his skin. He hoped that he would be able to clear his head, but it was hopeless. Lightning's face remained in his head.

Why?

She was not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, or the best groomed. But she was mysterious, like a puzzle that had only half the pieces and it was up to him to figure out where the rest of the pieces were located.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the back door opening and the tapping sounds of heels against the cold pavement. Glancing up, the prince saw her.

"Hi Lightning" the prince spoke, a little shy about talking to the pianist.

She must have not noticed Noctis because she spun around to the direction where she had heard the greeting. Noctis smiled as her pink hair flew in the air and fell in a clump on one side of her shoulder. "Noctis," Lightning smiled, "what a surprise."

The prince walked up closer to her.

"You…were fantastic in there."

"Thank you" she spoke as her pale cheeks grew deeper in color. She started walking down the back alley way. Noctis followed suite. The snow that had started the night before was continuing to fall. The crunching sounds of the packed ground echoed. Noctis was amazed at how gracefully Lightning moved, as though she was gliding across the ground. He admired how a few of the flakes of snow had become entangled in her hair, like little water drops or frozen beads.

"So?" the pianist asked sheepishly.

"So what?" Noctis spoke.

"Why are you following me? I never took you for the stalker type."

"Oh, right." The prince spoke embarrassed that he had completely forgotten what he had come to meet Lightning for. "When you play the piano, do you get memories of the events?"

Lightning looked at him with a confused look on her face. "No. Why?"

"When I listen to you play…I close my eyes and see events that I have no recollection of." Noctis was trying his best to best describe what he was seeing.

"Well, I know that music can remind people of events, but I've never known of people seeing unfamiliar events."

"Didn't you say that you have no memories of your childhood?"

"Yes."

Noctis was not sure what to say next. He could sense that the woman was hesitant in believing what he was telling her.

Luck for him Lightning began to talk. "Noctis, I don't have any explanation for what you are seeing. But, if you're saying that you would like to listen to me play the piano, I would be happy to perform for you."

"Yeah, maybe I just need to listen to some of your playing" Noctis replied. "But…do you think there is a possibility that those visions are linked to your past."

Lightning looked at Noctis with kind eyes. "Let's see what happens then? Alright." She then reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a paper and a pen. She then scribbled a few numbers on the sheet and handed it to the prince. "Give me a call." With that, she smiled and walked down that alley.

Noctis glanced down at the paper, realizing that it was phone number. He blushed as he watched Lightning's figure disappear into the snowy background.

_I can't wait until then…_

**

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**

**Author's Note: **Thought I forgot about that little vision Noctis had in the first chapter. Don't worry, more will be revealed in the next few chapters.

The song is Mozart's Piano Sonata K331 by Mozart, a lovely little piece that is one of my favorite compositions by the composer.

Sorry if this is sort of a lameish chapter. It's late and I want to get this exposition out of the way, but I'm challenging myself to give a lot of development to the characters and plot.

Anyway, let me know what you think and what I can improve on! Till next time.


	9. Sunday Plans

The following morning was relatively quite. Noctis, Adrian, Quinn, and Rex attended a morning service in the palace's chapel, and then had a late Sunday brunch together. It had been their tradition since the prince was a young.

Quinn had been hired as Noctis' assistant when he became a teenager, but he was introduced to Adrian and Rex when his mother was still alive. Lucia had always insisted that her son have as normal a life as possible. That included attending school, spending time in the city's public parks and having friends who were not of royalty. At the time, Adrian and Rex were both the children of servants at the palace. When the two were first brought by their parents to see if the palace needed more workers, Lucia had seized the opportunity and introduced them to Noctis. And since then, the three were inseparable.

"So Noct," Rex spoke as he piled pancakes on his china plate, "how was the meeting with Lightning?"

"It was good." Noctis replied, taking a seat at the circular table that was set for the four boys. "Talked to her and she gave me her number."

"Hm. Not bad Noct."

"Yeah Noct," interjected Adrian, whose plate was filled with chocolate croissants and Danish pastries. "That's awesome!"

"What composer did she play?" That was Quinn of course. He had just now take his seat opposite the prince and was already eating the bowl of fruit in front of him.

"Mozart" replied Noctis.

"Well, she certainly does have good taste. I believe your mother loved Mozart as well."

"Yeah, that was why she pushed the opera house to perform _The Magic Flute _each spring." The prince rolled his eyes. He had seen that opera one to many times. It was good, yes, but got tiring after seeing it time and time again.

"But just remember, Noctis: keep an eye on her."

"Oh stop acting like Noct's father Quinn" came an annoyed Adrian. "He's not a little kid."

"Oh, and you aren't?"

Noctis struggled to keep from chocking as he laughed at the retort.

"Touché Quinn. Touché." Adrian spoke, holding a fork with a piece of sausage on it at Quinn's face.

"Well, Adrian, I didn't know you had that word in your vocabulary." Rex's words dripped with sarcasm.

"Ha ha very funny." Adrian's' words were muffled a little as he stuffed the sausage into his mouth.

The humorous, but relatively common, conversation of the group was interrupted by a ringing phone. Instantaneously all of the boys reached into their pockets, pulled out their cell-phone and answered the phone.

Three 'hellos' filled the air, with Adrian's 'yo' a second behind the other's greeting.

It turned out that the call was for Quinn. He immediately excused himself from the table and exited the room. The call was obviously confidential. That left Adrian, Rex, and Noctis in the room. The two friends looked at the prince as he began to dial a number on the phone.

"Who are you calling?" asked Rex.

"Lightning." The number was dialed and the phone was next to the prince's ear. Noctis sensed that the two other pairs of eyes were on him as he listened for the signal that Lightning would pick up. To his surprise, he heard an automated voice say "We're sorry. The person you are calling is currently on the line. Please hand up and call again later. Or press…"

Noctis closed the phone, with a little bit of confusion on his face. But that expression turned to surprise as the phone began to ring a few seconds later. He answered it. "Hello?"

A very calm "Hi Noctis" filled the prince's ear.

"Li…Lightning? Is that you?"

"Of course it's me. Sorry I didn't pick up before. I was busy talking to the club owner."

"Oh it's okay. How are you?" Noctis was trying his best to stay focused as Rex and Adrian were smiling with glee at him.

"Tired but otherwise I'm well."

"So do you want to set up a time to meet up together?" At that, Rex and Adrian's jaws hit the floor.

"Of course. Is Thursday night good for you?"

"Yeah…I can do that."

"Great. We'll meet at my apartment, if that's alright."

"That's fine with me."

"Here's the address: 47 West Avenue, in Tenebrae. I'm on the 13th floor, apartment number 3. Get there around seven."

"Great I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye." Lightning hung up.

Noctis closed his phone and looked at his two friends. Their mouths were wide open. Just then, Quinn reentered the room. "What did I miss?"

**

* * *

**

"Great I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye."

Lightning shut her phone off.

She was excited about Noctis listening to her play. The possibility of spending more time with him was wonderful. What he had told her last night about the visions was too crazy for her to believe. She had already tried everything possible for her to try and remember her past, but perhaps these visions that Noctis experienced were indeed true.

I hope you can give me that closure, Noct.

But this was dangerous. Part of her knew that she was dragging Noctis into a pit that he did not deserve to be put into. She wanted to push him away, get him out of her head and out of her plans. People were about to be harmed. But fewer would be if she stayed away from the prince

Yet the other half of her wanted to be with Noctis. Each step she took he was right there. She liked the way he talked and how he complimented her. Praise was something that she rarely experienced. It seemed that with each kind remark, she wanted him to speak more and more.

Lightning sighed. If she had known that she would have become so torn inside, she would have never agreed to do this. But she had a job to do…and it was getting harder and harder for her to work.

**

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**

**Author's Note: **Things are starting to move and get a little more complicated. Thanks to **SunflowerWeilder **and **Yuki **for the reviews of the previous chapter! I really appreciate it! And to let everyone else know, the story is gonig to be a lot longer than I had originally anticipated, so there'll be more stuff for all you guys!

All characters are owned by Square Enix.


	10. Familiar Memories

In the blink of an eye, Thursday evening arrived. Noctis had decided not to inform Quinn about his meeting with Lightning and asked for Rex and Adrian to drive him into the city. Despite knowing him for so long, Quinn was likely to tell the king about the meeting. The prince wanted to keep this as secret as possible.

Rex drove a borrowed sedan from the palace garage around a few streets while Adrian was looking at the names of the streets, trying to find West Avenue. And Rex was becoming frustrated. In the back, Noctis was beginning to question why he let Rex and Adrian take him to Lightning's apartment. Quinn was always prepared. But he was certainly not as entertaining as the argument occurring in the front of the car.

"You sure you got the directions Adrian" Rex asked.

Adrian countered with "Of course. I'm not that big of an idiot."

"Gah, this is why I want a GPS tracer in the car. So I don't have to rely on idiots for directions."

"Well, why don't we just ask for directions?"

"No, not in a million years."

"Oh, why not?!"

"Because only girls ask for directions!"

"You're an idiot."

"SHUT UP ADRIAN!"

Noctis was about to intervene when he finally saw the street sign for West Avenue. "Guys, there's the street."

The argument ceased and Rex turned the car toward the road. The men's eyes then scanned for the apartment building, which was easy to spot.

As Noctis exited the car, he thanked Rex.

"I'll call you when I'm done" he said.

"Alright Noct" came the reply.

Adrian then added "Have fun on your date."

Noctis scoffed as he got out of the car and walked into the building. This was not a date. A date, in his mind, was taking someone to a romantic dinner, or out to a theater production. What he was doing with Lightning was answering some questions. He certainly cared about Lightning, but in no way were his feelings romantic.

As he entered the stairwell, he heard the faintest whisper of a piano scale. _Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do To La So Fa Mi Re Do_.

That had to be Lightning.

He started climbing the stairs. With each step, the notes became louder and louder. The scale's decline and descend was steady and rhythmic, predictable and beat like. Its sound was drilling itself into the prince's head. His steps soon matched the playing of the piano. A few times he found himself descending some steps when the scale was played backwards. At those moments, he quietly chuckled to himself, shook his head and started upward again.

By the time he reached the 13th floor, the scale had been played around thirty times. The sound of the piano bombarded him as he opened the hall's doorway. In his head, Noctis reminded himself that he was looking for apartment number 3. Glancing around, he saw only four doors: one marked fire escape and the others with little metal numbers mounted on them. The two nearest doors were apartments 1 and 2, so three was the one at the end of the hall.

His pace slowed as Noctis readied himself for the meeting. Finally, he reached the entrance to apartment 3. The sound of the piano scale was as audible as ever. Noctis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps this meeting would finally get Lightning out of his head, or even resolve some of the questions he still had about her. Or, nothing could happen tonight and all of the visions he had were simply figments of his imagination.

_Well, here goes nothing._

Noctis knocked on the door. He shifted his weight around on his legs, becoming impatient. He heard the piano's scale abruptly stop and hurried foot steps inside the door. Ten seconds later, the door opened and he was greeted with the pleasant face of Lightning.

"You made it."

Noctis couldn't help but let a small smile creep onto his face. "Yeah, sorry about the delay."

Lightning ushered the prince into her apartment. "I hope you don't mind the mess. I tried to clean this afternoon."

The prince looked around with his grey eyes curiously, trying to see the so called mess. He noticed a few pillows on the couch out of place, some dirty dishes piled in the sink, a few newspapers on the table, but the apartment was certainly not a mess. Noctis turned to face her.

"What are you talking about, Lightning? Where's the mess?"

The pianist blushed, her cheeks becoming a color that matched her pink hair. "Oh, I'm rather compulsive when it comes with keeping things clean. I can't stand being messy."

The prince saw the blush and smirked a little. "Well, I think your apartment is lovely and clean."

"Thank you, Noct."

He then lifted his gaze from Lighting's face to see a wall of books and musical scores. That had to be her collection of scores. Noctis walked over to the shelf, curiosity taking over. He remained silent as he scanned the scores: Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert, Chopin, Shore, Williams, Haydn, Rachmaninov, and Grieg. Something occurred to him then.

"How many songs can you play" Noctis asked.

"A lot actually. I can read music very well but I have a memory that is sharp." She tapped her head as she said that. "Once I've learned something, it stays in there."

"That's impressive." The prince already knew about the memory. That comment only confirmed what her profile reported.

Lightning then walked over to the piano. Without looking at her guest, she began to remove papers from the top of the instrument. "So, just out of curiosity, what were these visions of yours?"

That's right. He had forgotten why he was here.

"Well, the first ones from the Lockheart ball were weird."

"Explain?"

He tried his best to remember what those images were. "I think the first was a funeral. I didn't see any familiar faces or any distinguishing features. The second…the second was someone being led away by officers. The third I can't remember. To be honest, I thought I was going crazy when I saw those things

"Then the one last Saturday was of a little girl. She looked like you and she was running towards a little boy. To be honest, she was so happy."

Shifting his gaze to Lightning, he saw that she was listening very intently to the information that he was telling her. "How do you know it was me in the visions?"

"The little girl had the same hair color and eyes as you. But to be honest, I just assumed it was you because I don't know of any other girls with your hair color…or eyes."

Lightning nodded. She would just have to take a leap of faith and assume that the little girl was her. "Did you see anything else in the last vision" she then asked.

"There was a mountain range in the background."

The pianist looked surprised. "There weren't any mountains in Gibrantha from what I remember."

"Maybe you grew up in a completely different area?"

"Perhaps." There was a slight pause. Lightning had just realized for the first time how little she really knew about herself. "Do you want me to play the piano?"

Noctis nodded. "Let's do that." He then walked over to the piano to join Lightning. Looking across the instrument he noticed it was an older piano, one that had a lot of use but also a lot of care. He wondered what had been played on the instrument. What she had played on it.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of Lightning pulling one of her dining table chair over to the piano. She positioned the seat a few feet to the right side of the instrument. "Here Noct, take a seat." She then motioned her hands for her guest to sit down. Noctis obliged and sat in the chair. He then sat down and relaxed, taking a deep breath.

"So, what would you like me to play?"

**

* * *

**

Thirty minutes passed, and Noctis had seen no visions.

As Lightning finished another piece of Bach, she glanced over to Noctis, curious to see whether he had seen anything. His eyes answered no.

Noctis groaned. "I'm sorry Lightning. Maybe…maybe I was just imagining things."

Lightning pursed her lips together. "No I believe you. Maybe I've been playing the wrong music?"

Noctis looked at her questioningly.

"I love Bach" the pianist explained, "but he might not be your cup of tea. How about I play what _you _will like to hear?"

"Alright…" Noctis contemplated for a moment what he would enjoy hearing. "How about the second song you played for me at the ball? The second Beethoven piece."

"Bagatelle in A Minor, WoO 59 'Für Elise'. Alright then." Lightning then stretched her fingers and began to play.

Noctis relaxed as the music filled his ears. He closed his eyes, waiting for a vision. After a first few phrases, the blackness was replaced with an image.

_The little girl came into his vision. The location was by a river. A great mountain range in the background._

_She was fishing…while a boy showed her how to cast the rod. Beside those two was an older woman with a bob hair cut and a balding man._

_The little girl was giggling, trying her hardest to catch something with the rod._

_The four looked…so happy._

The pace of the song Lightning was playing changed, as did the vision in Noctis' mind.

_The girl was sobbing in front of a tree. It appeared to be a weeping willow. The young boy was hugging her close._

_Noctis could make out the words "I'll never leave you…never let anything bad happen to you…I promise."_

_The girl was still sobbing, but she looked up into the face of the boy._

_"You…you promise?"_

_He smiled at her. "I promise…"_

The image faded into darkness as Lightning ended the song. Noctis remained silent.

"Anything?" She had shifted her position on the piano bench to face Noctis directly.

He turned to look at her, his face void of color. "Lots. I saw a family."

"I…I had a family. What did they look like?"

"Uh…it was a mother and a father" the details were becoming fuzzier and fuzzier in the prince's consciousness. "And a brother! I think it was the same boy from the earlier vision. You and him were fishing together."

Lightning's face was filled with disbelief and surprise. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and yet she hung on every word that the prince was saying.

"Was that all?" she asked.

"No. The girl and boy were hugging each other under a weeping willow, and the boy said something like 'I'll never leave you…never let anything bad happen to you…I promise.' "

At that Lightning's face softened. She was trilled that she had had a friend as a child, but she wondered if he was even alive. And yet, there was someone who had cared about her.

"You don't know" she spoke as she got up from the piano bench and walked over to Noctis, "how much that means to me."

"What do you mean" Noctis questioned as he stood up from the chair.

"To have the small possibility that some one cared about me…that means the world to me." Without thinking she then hugged the prince.

Noctis was taken aback by the gesture. But after a few moments he relaxed and returned the hug. He had never experienced this emotion; this feeling of pure joy that he had done a simple act of kindness to someone. It just reinforced a notion that perhaps Lightning was not like the other girls he had known before.

And perhaps the emotions he felt for her were indeed more than just 'liking' her.

As they remained in the embrace, Noctis remembered that he needed to return to the palace. "Lightning, can I meet you again?"

She pulled back, making Noctis shiver at the removal of Lightning's touch. "Of course. Could we perhaps meet at another place but at the same time?"

"Yeah, um, I'll call you later this week" he said as he began to walk to the door.

"Okay."

Lightning then opened the door and Noctis began to exit. At that moment he wanted to show her affection for letting him feel thankful and happy for that short time. A kiss would be too much, unless he gave it another way.

As he walked out the door, he let has hand move toward Lightning's delicate fingers. Feeling them, he gently touched then, making sure Lightning was comfortable with what he was about to do. He then grasped her hand above his and raised in air at her neck level so Lightning could see what he was about to do. Lighting seemed confused but made no motion that she was displeased or angry. After a few weighing seconds, Noctis pressed his lips to her silky skin, making a small kiss sound.

Looking into her eyes, the prince saw delight at the gesture. He then returned the hand to its original position and smiled. "Good night Lightning."

"Good night to you too Noct" was the reply.

At that, the prince exited the apartment and returned to his duties as the prince of Tenebrae.

**

* * *

**

Friday night passed without incidence. It was only at Saturday morning that Noctis received a small surprise. He was reading a book about the geography of Gaia, trying to find all of the possible locations he saw in his vision. A small rapt on the study's door caused him to jump out of ponderings.

"Enter" he commanded.

The opened fully, revealing a tired, worn out Quinn. Without a sound the assistant walked over to the prince.

"Quinn, are you alright" asked Noctis.

"No" was the response. He then took a seat in the chair directly opposite Noctis.

Quinn sighed. He looked like he had not slept all night. "I just want to let you know, there was a break in on the 78th and 79th floors of the government headquarters. Certain hardware was destroyed, and files were stolen"

Noctis was stunned. "How is that possible?"

"We don't know right now, but someone managed it."

"Do you know what was stolen?"

"We don't know yet. But, reports state that the war department and the personnel department were ransacked."

"What about the crystal?" Noctis asked. There was probably nothing to worry about since crystal was head in the Crystal Shrine a few blocks away, but he wanted to be sure it was safe.

"It's safe and untouched."

That was all that mattered to Noctis. He then shifted his tone of voice so he could give Quinn a few orders. "Increase the security in the building and find out exactly what was stolen. Any idea as to who attacked?"

"We'll, we have a few ideas, but they are all speculative at this point. We think that the culprits were a group of anti-Tenebrean forces either Deepground or perhaps The Guardians. Team NORA also appeared as a red flag, as that group is desperate to do anything possible to end the war."

"That's odd. I thought NORA was not a violent group Quinn and that they were on our side."

"It never hurts to check all of your enemies. Don't worry though; they are pretty low on the list, since the attack looked like it was done by a professional with money."

"What about a spy from Algentia in the government?"

"That is also a possibility Noctis. But right now, the only thing we can go is increase security at the tower and watch out for any suspicious activity."

Noctis remained silent as he pondered the news. He hated to admit it, but his role as prince and crystal protector was going to become more important than ever.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Phew that was long. Work has been busy but I promise to continue this story until it is done.

Thanks for all the reviews and comments from **Vaniolel, nickJoffdaCHAIN, flower on thewind, Yuki, Dawn, **and **SunflowerWeilder**. Thanks again guys!

All characters are owned by Square Enix.


	11. Do It

The break in at the government headquarters had led to a rather long week for Noctis. His schedule had completely changed, as he was now spending more time with government officials and members of the Tenebraean press trying to keep the break ins information under control. The story that the public received was that the levels below the 78th and 79th floors were attacked, rather than the actual levels.

Meanwhile, all of the resistance and anti-government group that Quinn had mentioned to him were being researched and checked for suspicious activity. Though Noctis had doubts that Team NORA was involved in the attack, more information was gathered about that group.

On Wednesday of that week, the prince joined his father for another meeting. This time, however, all discussion was on the attack. More bizarre was the prince's learning that his father would have a conference with the King of Algentia, an aged king named Phillip. He had been king since Giovanni's grandfather had taken the throne. The conversation would be less of a pleasant exchange and more like a threat.

At 12:29 that afternoon, Noctis was sitting beside his father, awaiting for the call from Elena that Philip was ready to talk.

Wearing his black suit, Noctis glanced over to his father's stone cold face. "Should I say anything father?"

Giovanni did not move from his position when he responded to his son. "No. You are here because you are to show that the royal family is a united front."

Noctis silently scoffed. What his father said basically translated out to 'you're here because for political sake, I want you to be here'. Some father and family he had. He had basically lived without a father for years. Lightning had more of a family than he.

At 12:30, the phone on the table rang. Giovanni pressed the blinking red light on the phone. "What is it Elena?"

"Your Highness, King Phillip Remus of Algentia is on the line."

"Put him on."

One of the assistants in the throne room tapped a button on the console. Instantly, part of the long meeting table, a rectangle about the width of half the table opened up. Out of it came a flat television screen that was used for certain occasions. For a moment, the screen was blank.

When the screen had fully risen out of the table and properly set itself, the royal seal of Tenebrae flashed on the screen. That image then faded away to reveal the face of an aging man, with shoulder length silver hair, winkled skin, and a heavily ornate gold crown. The royalty of Algentia was a bit more traditional than that of the Caelums.

Standing beside the king were two people. The person his left was the king's son, who was about thirty years old, with sharpened features and brown hair that graced his shoulders, just like his father. Unlike Noctis, the prince seemed uninterested in the affair of his father. On the right side was a woman, wearing a high ranking Algentian army uniform and long blond hair.

"King Giovanni" spoke Phillip, his voice weak and filled with age.

"King Phillip" replied Giovanni, remaining monotone and cold. "I also see that you have your son Prince Trion Remus and the great General Lorelei."

Each respectively nodded.

Noctis knew little about the general. All Noctis knew was that she was one of the top generals leading the war effort and was a great Algentian war hero. It was rumored that she once destroyed a whole brigade on her own with a broken leg and arm. She was cold, ruthless, and would supposedly stop at nothing until she reached perfection.

In contrast, but he knew about Trion. He always disliked the prince. Trion always seemed selfish and prideful of his position. It was also disheartening to Noctis that he was more of an adult than Trion; he had the crystal to deal with, Giovanni, the war, and life. Trion was spoiled, never working a day in his life and only caring about getting in bed with as many women as possible.

Worst of all, Phillip would not be around much longer, and Trion would be crowned king, which terrified Noctis. A boy like him in control of one of the greatest empires on Gaia would be disastrous for everyone.

Giovanni shifted in his throne and began to address the aging king. "I suppose you know of the incident this past Friday evening."

Phillip couched. "I…I have been made aware of what has happened. I am sure that in this time of war…" he coughed again, "I am sure it is a great loss."

"Thank you for the kind words, Remus." Giovanni responded. "I want you to know that I have begun searching for any leads…and I certainly hope that groups from your kingdom do not appear on the list.

"And," Giovanni leaned forward, "I will assure you that those consequences will be brutal."

Silence. Total, absolute silence. Noctis hated that aspect of his father: whatever he threatened to do, he would do.

"Well, as far as I…know, no one I know of in my kingdom has set up this attack."

"Good" replied Giovanni. "I hope I will not have to have this conversation again."

"Yes…farewell" spoke Phillip, who let out a deep cough before the screen was turned off and reverted back inside of the table. No one spoke until the room had returned to total silence.

"He's lying" Giovanni spoke out loud.

"How can you tell" asked Noctis.

"Because Trion not once looked at me; Phillip is covering for his son." He sighed. "Administer Yuri, increase security on all government buildings. I have a feeling that there will be more attacks as long as we have no idea who is attacking us."

"Do you think it's a resistance group?"

"No, this was a single person, working alone. We'll just have to keep the city on high alert."

"Sir," asked Administer Yuri, "should I put the whole kingdom on alert and eliminate anyone who we think is an enemy?"

"Do it."

At that moment, Noctis had a sickening feeling that his role protecting the crystal would become even more important.

* * *

The faces of Giovanni and Noctis disappeared from the screen in the Remus' throne room. King Phillip coughed loudly once again.

"This illness…" he spoke, short of breath, "will be the end of me."

"You said that three years ago father and your still here" commented Trion, who refused to look to the aging king.

"Trion…you should know better. You'll…" another chough filled the air, "…be king one day. How can you have respect for you kingdom…if you have no respect for your…own father."

"Your highness" came the previously silent Lorelei. "Perhaps you should get your rest now and leave all of these troubles to me and your humble advisors."

With that, a group of nurses arrived in the room, helping Phillip out of the room. He walked meekly across the room. The king was, sadly, almost eighty years old and had seen too many wars, too many policies, too many deaths.

When he had left the room, Trion and Lorelei looked at each other.

"I fear that Giovanni is not as stupid as you make him out to be" spoke the general. "He'll do what ever is needed to protect his kingdom."

"Don't remind me of that Lorelei" rebutted the prince. "Just make sure that everything is ready on your end."

"I can assure you that everything is set. I hope that you still remember your promise, Trion."

"Darling" the prince then sauntered to Lorelei and placed a kiss on her cheek, "I will make sure that you will be the greatest woman in this kingdom."

Lorelei smiled Trion as they exited the throne room together before parting again outside.

* * *

Lightning had her eyes glued to the television. The images on the screen showed the government building, with reporters outside the building. A video then appeared showing Noctis walking into the building. He was wearing a professional suit, and looked relatively tried.

_Poor guy_, she thought to herself.

As the reporter continued to talk about the possible implications of the break in, Lightning walked over to kitchen sink, continuing to listen to the audio.

"The Caelum family has stated that nothing of importance was stolen from the 70th and 71st floors, aside from a few lists of government names…"

_That's a lie. Complete lie. _Lightning scoffed. _They're just saying that because of the public outcry._

Leaving the kitchen, she walked over to the dining room area. On one of the chairs was her oversized black purse. Reaching inside of it, she pulled out a handful of sealed folders, papers, binders, and a large USB device.

Carefully holding objects, she leafed through the papers until she found what she was looking for. A document with the label **C.S. Plans.01,46.** She then placed the other documents back in the purse, making sure that nothing was crinkled or damaged.

_Now for the first act…_

She then took the selected document and placed it on the table. She then spent the next few hours examining it, making sure she knew every detail, every nook and window that was on the page. Once she was satisfied that she had memorized all of the information on the sheet, she folded the piece of paper up and placed it back in her black purse.

Lightning then made a note to cancel all engagements on the third Monday two months from now.

Things were moving once again. It would only be a matter of time before she would finally have what she wanted so much.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The plot thickens. I should let you guys know that every character in this fic will have a part to play, so don't discredit someone just because they play a small role.

Also great thaks for all who reviewed: **Dawn, SunflowerWeilder, nickJoffdaCHAIN, flower on thewind, **and **zm4u**. Thanks for all of the reviews you guys!

All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix.


	12. Brush Strokes of Dreams

Thursday morning, Noctis got a message from Lightning. It would be a welcomed break from the mayhem of the government break-in. The press was beginning to ask though questions and Giovanni's associates were having trouble explaining the heightened alert level for the entire kingdom. It would not be long before the truth would be revealed.

The message from Lightning simply said this: _Meet Fynn Apartment Building. Ground floor room 07. C u 8.30._

Though the prince had no idea where the Fynn apartment was, but Rex had an idea. "It's across the city from Lightning's apartment on Palazzo Road. Adrian and I will take you there."

So once again, Noctis' two friends escorted him to the meeting. After about an hour of driving around, and hearing complaints about the lack of a GPS system in the car, the three finally arrived at the building. Before he exited the car though, he received a strange request from Adrian.

"Hey Noct, can we meet Lightning?"

Noctis paused for a moment. "Why?"

"Well…we've heard you talk about her and we've taken you to see her and it would be nice to meet her."

Rex nodded his head in agreement. "She's so important that you've been keeping these meeting a secret from Quinn and your father. Adrian and I just want to meet her."

Noctis glanced over at the two friends in the front seat of the automobile. He trusted them not to tell anyone else about the pianist.

He sighed heavily. "Alright, you can meet her."

At that, Rex and Adrian cheered, bumped their fists together and jumped out of the car.

"But guys" the prince said, "you'll have to let me and Lightning have our meeting in private, alright."

Before he could say anything else, Adrian had wrapped his arm around the prince's neck and bear hugged him. "Of course Noct. You can count on us."

Adrian then let go of his friend and then followed the prince into the apartment building. It was certainly in a nicer part of the city, where some of the more wealthy citizens of Tenebrae lived. The thought of how Lightning could have gotten a room available in the building crossed his mind, as it must have cost her an arm and a leg to meet with the prince here.

As the three men entered the building, they made notice of a large directory not too far from the entrance. Res placed his index finger on the map's legend and moved it down the list until he found the right room number, and then followed the information given to locate the room on the floor plan.

"Right here" he said as he pointed to a large room in the west wing on the complex. "We'll head down that way and the room should be on the right side." At that, the three walked toward the appropriate hall, scanning each of the room numbers for the right room, Rex in the lead followed by Adrian and Noctis.

"11…10…" muttered Rex as he walked down the hall. "…09….Hey, here it is!"

Rex stepped aside in front of a pair of large oak doors to allow Noctis to knock on them. He lightly rapped on the door and was greeted with reply of "Come in". The three entered.

Noctis then glanced around the room, realizing that it appeared to be a club like area, with a bar and tables already inside of it. The room was also supplied with an upright piano, where Lightning's unmistakable black bag was placed. She had just stood up from the piano bench and was now walking over to Noctis and his friends.

"Hey Noct!"

"Lightning, good to see you again" replied the prince. He smiled as the pianist got closer to him. Yet instead of looking at the prince, Lightning was focused on the two figures behind her.

"Who are they?"

"Oh, right. These are my friends: Adrian and Rex."

The two each waved at Lightning, with huge grins on their faces. In response, Lightning raised one hand and moved her hands fingers in and out of her palm to make a small 'hello' motion.

"They, uh, wanted to meet you." He then looked at Lightning, seeing some confusion in her eyes. "They don't bite" he reassured.

"I know," Lightning whispered, "but is it alright if it's just the two of us?"

"Sure. Rex and Adrian just wanted to see you in person."

At that, Lightning smiled. She then refocused on the two guests and extended her right hand to Rex who grasped it in a heavy grip and shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. Noctis must be very lucky to have friends like you."

Rex and Adrian blushed at that comment.

"Well, Noct is a pretty cool guy" replied Rex.

Noctis blushed at what Rex had said. It was nice to have him and Adrian as friends. He wondered sometimes how he got along in life without their constant comedy and jokes. It was needed for the life that the prince was living. They kept him grounded and sane, something that he was incredibly grateful for.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone" said Rex. "Have fun you two."

At that, he and Adrian walked out of the room. There was silence until the two opened and then closed the door. Lightning then turned back to Noctis. She had a smile on her face. The two then began to walk across the room to the piano.

"Those two seem really nice" Lightning said, chuckling at the comment. "I saw you on the news"

"Was it about the break-in" the prince asked.

"Yeah."

"It's been a rough week, with the press and the politics of it all."

"Any idea still of what was stolen?"

"A lot, Lightning. But I still don't know the full details."

"I see." The conversation ended as they reached the piano.

"So" Noctis spoke as he sat back in a pulled up chair, "what song will it be tonight?"

"Well, I looked around and found this: Franz Liszt, Liebestraume No. 3, Dreams of Love."

Noctis nodded, signaling that he was ready to listen.

She started to play.

Once again, Noctis settled back into the familiar mode of thinking of nothing. All he focused was on the music, trying to see a vision of something. He waited…and waited, and then it came.

_The girl was walking through a tall, grassy field. The hot summer sun was falling across the area. A small giggle escaped her lips as she attempted to do a cartwheel. Instead of landing standing up, she was falling to the side. Her hands were muddy and she had a few bruises on her legs and arms. But she was still trying. Before she could do another, the girl noticed something and ran towards another person. It was her mother._

_She looked sad._

_"Mommy" the little girl spoke, her smile fading to a frown. "What's wrong?"_

_The older woman leaned down to look at her daughter. "Well, you know what daddy does for a living, don't you?"_

_To reply the girl shook her head up and down. "Yeah, he works as a shoulider."_

_"That's right." The girl's mother then patted her daughter on the head, making a mess of her hair. "Well, daddy is going to be leaving soon."_

_The little girl became confused. "Why?"_

_"Well sweetie, he needs to fight for his people. And sometimes, that means leaving your family."_

_The girl frowned. "Will daddy be back?"_

_"Yes he will, sweetie."_

_A huge smile appeared on the girl's face. She then turned around and ran back into the field to practice her cartwheels. Her mother watched her daughter with an enormous tear falling down her face._

Before anything else appeared, the song had ended. Noctis was shaken by the scene; the prince was trying his hardest to not cry at what he had seen. He had a feeling that the mother was lying to her daughter about her 'daddy' coming home. Lightning's father must have died in the war.

A gentle touch on his shoulder alerted him to the other person in the room. "Are you alright, Noct?" Noctis glanced around to see that Lightning was down at the prince's eye-level. Her deep ocean eyes were washed with concern.

"Yeah," Noctis began to rub his eyes in an attempt to keep from crying. "It was just a rough vision."

"How so?"

"Your father was a solider, and what I was your mother telling you that he was leaving for war and that he would come back…" his voice faded out at that point, keeping the inevitable conclusion out of speech.

Lightning got the message. "He probably didn't come back, right?"

"That was the mood I got."

The pianist nodded. "Did you see anything else?"

"To be honest, I didn't see much else."

"No, I mean was I doing anything before my mom showed up?"

Noctis thought for a moment. "You were trying to do some cartwheels in a field. And you were failing miserably."

At that, Lightning laughed. "Failing, eh?"

She then stood up fully and walked away from the piano and Noctis to an open area near him. Walking to the far end of the room, Noctis watched as she stood stiff as a board for a moment, and then fell forward. As if it was programmed in her, Lightning preformed a perfect cartwheel, followed by a few somersaults, flips and spins, before sticking her landing at the other end of the room.

Noctis' jaw dropped. "How…did….how?"

Once again, Lightning laughed. "Practice makes perfect" she commented as she walked back to Noctis, rubbing her hands together. "I didn't realize that I started doing those when I was little. But now I can do cartwheels in my sleep."

"I guess so" laughed Noctis. The tears were gone, replaced with a large smile.

That was Lightning: filled with surprises. Once he thought he had figured her out, she turned around and showed a completely new side to her.

"I hate to say this," began Lightning, "but I think it's time for me to leave."

"Why?"

"I have to do a few things at my apartment and get ready for a few things."

Noctis' smile faded. He had a feeling that it was also his time to leave.

"Hey Noct, is it alright if we make this the normal meeting spot?"

"Of course." Noctis smiled and then stood up and headed for the exit, thinking the session was over.

"Nu ah. You're not leaving yet."

Noctis turned around to look at the pianist once again. "What do you…" he stopped in mid sentence as he noticed Lightning had her right hand poised in midair.

"I very much enjoyed that little farewell last time and I would like another one if you don't mind." She had a devious smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.

Noctis chuckled. He then walked back to the piano, and kissed her soft hand. Pulling back, he winched a little. "You hand tastes like the floor."

"Oh stop it" laughed Lightning as she retracted her hand and smiled.

* * *

On Saturday evening, Noctis was invited to a gallery opening in the city. The invitation had been for Giovanni, but the king had left for Ivalice to help the ruler of that territory sign the surrendering treaties. And as the gallery owners asked for a member of the Caelum family, Noctis was roped into attending the event.

While some of these events that the prince attended were boring and pointless, this event was actually interesting. The opening exhibition was of a foreign artist named Amano, who specialized in watercolors and inked drawings. Unlike other pieces of art that Noctis had seen, this work was quite interesting. They were all done with splashes of colorful patterns, delicate lines, and well placed strokes. All of the work seemed familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on where he had seen the work before.

He had spent some time in front of one picture in particular. It was of a woman in a billowing yellow gown, with a jeweled crown, looking into the light blue sky above her. There was something about the drawing that seemed magical, full of imagination and creativity that captivated the prince. Noctis was too busy staring at he painting to hear the soft pitter patter of a pair of heels.

"We meet again" came a sweet, kind voice.

Noctis jumped in his skin with shock. He quickly turned around to see a smiling Princess Stella.

"St…Stella. Hi!"

She giggled at him softly. "I'm sorry I scared you, Noct. I was just happy to see a familiar face."

Noctis couldn't help but smile and laugh. "I'm going have to keep count of the number of times you do this to me."

"Oh, Noctis" the princess replied. She then turned her deep purple eyes to the painting. It was a feature that Noctis had marveled about Stella. That color was not the result of Etro's curse but the natural pigment of her eyes. They were rare and captivating, sort of like Stella's actual character.

"You know," Stella began, "that painting at the Lockheart's place, of the Etro?"

"Yes" Noctis spoke.

"Amano painted that."

Noctis' eyes widened. "No wonder I felt some familiarity with the art style."

"I love his work."

Stella began to talk for some time, but Noctis enjoyed the company as they walked through the gallery, stopping once in a while to look at a particular picture.

"I haven't heard from you in a while" commented Stella, as the two viewed a piece of a young woman wearing a red dress reclining on an onyx, futuristic looking chair.

"I've been busy" answered Noctis.

"And I also have not talked with Lightning in some time." A devious and curious expression appeared on the princess' face. "Have you two been seeing each other?"

"No" firmly replied Noctis. He did not like where Stella was going with the conversation. The prince's eyes remained glued to the painting, trying to hide the fact that he was lying to Stella.

Unfortunately for him, the princess was more perceptive and saw past Noctis' feeble actions.

"You're lying Noct."

He glanced at Stella, his blue eyes meeting her violet ones. Noctis sighed deeply. "I've been meeting with Lightning."

"Doing what?"

"Helping her…" he tried to find the right words to describe what he was actually doing with Lightning, "helping her find her past."

"That sound's interesting. Can I join you two?"

Noctis went pale. He was already in trouble for being with Lightning once a week, but having the princess of a rival family in the same room…that was a bit terrifying. What if someone, like his father found the three together? That was a risk he didn't want to take.

"No."

"Noctis, why not?" She paused before saying, "Is it because of the crystal?

"It's just…with security and everything, I don't want to get into even more trouble than I am already in."

"Your father?"

Noctis nodded his head in agreement.

"Noctis" Stella began. "I promise on my royal throne and birthright that I would never use you or do something to hurt you. I like Lightning and I would never put her in danger. And if we are caught, then I will take the blame."

Noctis looked hard into her eyes. She was sincere. And the princess was right: not once in all the years that he had known the princess did she ever hurt him. She may have seemed shallow and foolish, but Stella was trustworthy and very protective of her friends.

Maybe she could provide Lightning with another vision since she was connected to the crystal like him.

A small smile grew on his face. "You can come."

At that, Stella beamed. "Thanks Noct. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I know you won't. I'll email you the address."

At that the two left the area and once again looked at the paintings, each smiling as they walked through the gallery.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah, I know it's out of universe for the gallery to be of Yoshitaka Amano artwork, but I love his work so much that I just had to include him.

Thanks for all of the reviews guys: **Dawn, Yuki, SunflowerWeilder, flower on thewind, zm4u.**

All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix. And all artwork is the property of Yoshitaka Amano.


	13. Nocture of the Past

Another week flew by and once again Noctis found himself at the Fynn Apartment. The meetings with Lightning were becoming routine, like the meetings with his father. Once again, Quinn and the king were kept in the dark about Lightning.

So far, it was easy for him to hide Lightning with an excuse that he was going to the Crystal Shrine or meeting with some official. But it was becoming harder to

Stella and Lightning were already chattering away about something. Perhaps about their outfits. Stella was in some sort of very stylish winter dress, her blond hair falling in cascades down her back. Lightning had a long sleeved scarlet turtleneck, and deep colored jeans.

"Hey Noct" Stella said excitedly as she saw the prince walk across the room. Lightning stayed standing by the piano. She smiled as she watched Stella greet Noctis.

Those two were the quintessential yin and yang. Noctis was cold and quiet. Stella was always lively and full of speech. The prince was very head first in making decisions, but Stella was always seeing other ways to solve a problem, seeing a problem differently than any other person.

The one thing both members of royalty had in common was that they cared about each other and their kingdom. That was something she could never have…

After a few seconds, Stella and Noctis walked towards Lightning. The prince watched as Lightning's pale face became more visible as he approached the instrument.

"Hi Lightning" he spoke.

"Good to see you again Noctis" came a sincere reply.

Lightning took her positioned seat at the piano, while Noctis pulled up two abandoned chairs for him and the princess.

"So, how does this work" asked Stella.

"Basically" began Noctis as he placed a chair behind Stella and motioned for her to sit, "Lightning plays a piano piece, and then I relax as I listen to the music, and then the images just sort of come."

Stella nodded her head to show that she understood what Noctis had explained to her.

"So anything I see, I tell Lightning after the song is over."

"That's what I've been doing." The prince had taken his seat and then nodded his head to Lightning for her to start playing.

"For tonight I found this: Nocturne in E by Chopin."

A few seconds later, Lightning started playing.

Noctis closed his eyes and his mind was once again transported to a lost memory of Lightning's past.

_It must have been an early autumn morning. The young girl was standing with her mother and brother. They all wore black. Each child held one of their mother's hands._

_Before them was a wooden coffin. A priest was reading a passage from a book. Behind the family were a group of mourners._

_Out of the crowd stepped a young African American man. He had a gentle face. The mother seemed to recognize and embrace him as he approached._

_"I'm so sorry about Leon. He was a wonderful man. He died bravely."_

_"Thank you" spoke the woman, struggling to hold back tears._

_The young girl and her brother were sniffing, hugging each other._

_"I miss daddy" spoke the girl._

_"Me to" replied the boy._

_Shortly after that, the family friend that had been talking with their mother kneeled down to the two sibling's eye level._

_"Listen" he spoke in a soft and kind voice, "I'm going to take care of you guy and your mother. I'm sure that your daddy would be proud of you two right now."_

_The two children hugged the man. The little girl was weeping_

The scene then changed to a simple bedroom.

_An older looking version of the girl came into view. She was taller, and her hair had grown a few inches beyond her shoulder. The girl looked even more like the present day Lightning, but still held the sense of youth in her face and manner. In her hand was a little box, wrapped with a rose pink ribbon._

_The door opened and in stepped her brother, who was easily a foot taller than Lightning now. He was covered in dirt and bruises._

_"You got into another fight" came a displeased comment from the girl._

_"Sorry sis." The tall boy just shrugged his shoulders._

_"Well, Happy Birthday anyway."_

_The girl then revealed the little package. Surprised, the boy took it from her. He undid the ribbon and dropped his jaw at what was inside._

_"This…An ocarina!"_

_The clay instrument appeared in the boy's hand. He held with care and wonder as he examined every inch of the object._

_"I used a whole two years allowance and even had it engraved."_

_The boy looked and on one of the edges was a small engraving: **RPV & SJV**. He then hugged his sister._

_"Thank you! I will always keep it!"_

Their embrace faded away as the song slowed and ended.

Once finished, Lightning turned to face the two. Noctis was first. "Anything?"

The prince smiled. "Lots. First, I saw the funeral for your father."

Stella's eyes softened at that comment.

Lightning shook her head. "I figured that he died from what you said about the last vision."

"Yeah. But there was a black man, someone in his early twenties who was there. He seemed to be a friend of the family because he said he would 'look out' for you and your brother."

A smile of thankfulness appeared on the pianist's face. _So there were others who had cared about me._

"And then," Noctis continued, "I saw you give your brother an ocarina."

"Huh, what's an ocarina" Stella asked.

Lightning then explained. "An ocarina is often a clay or porcelain wind instrument, like a flute or oboe. It is known for sounding like the wind and being related to nature. It's a pretty little instrument."

"I see. I'm sorry for interrupting Noctis."

Noctis smiled at Stella, letting her know that he was fine. "The ocarina you gave your brother looked expensive and you had it engraved with the phrase **RPV & SJV**."

Lightning thought for a moment before responding. "I have no idea what that means."

"It could be the initials of your names" Stella said. "The V is in both so that could be first letter of your last names."

"But that would mean that I wasn't born named Lightning, but I have no idea what that name would be."

"Just another piece to the puzzle" Noctis mused.

"Did you see anything, Stella" the pianist asked the princess.

"Flowers."

Lightning crinkled her nose and squinted her eyes unsure of what to say next. "Flowers?"

"I'm serious. I saw flowers. They looked very familiar too, but I can't remember the name of that type."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't see how flowers are going to help me with my memories." She then sighed heavily and put her head down. "This war needs to end." It was rather out of the blue, as if she had forgotten she was talking with royalty of the winning kingdom.

"I…I'm sorry…" she began.

"It's alright." Stella reassured Lightning, placing her hand in that of the pianist, massaging it gently. "We all want this war to end."

"If I were my father, I would call everyone back and end this violence. However, it's a bit more complicated." Noctis remained calm and composed. "More lives would be lost if the Tenebrae forces retreated. The money and lives that would be consumed by the entire conflict would be astronomical. And who knows how many rogue antigovernment and anarchist groups would be created.

"Besides, Algentia shows no intention of ending this war, so until the king decides that there is no reason to continue fighting, the war will just keep going, consuming everything and everyone.

"I think that until a solution is found…or the king is killed, the war will continue."

Lightning chuckled slightly, "You're always this calm, Noctis?"

"Yes, he is." Stella answered.

"Hey Noctis, if you were the king, hypothetically, what would you do?"

Noctis' face remained composed and calm. Questions like that shifted his persona from a simple teenager to the heir to the throne of Tenebrae.

"Do what I could and try to make the best of the situation. Really, it's not what I want but what my people want."

Lightning blinked, processing that response, and then replied with such ferocity in her eyes that terrified and intrigued the prince at the same time. "If something comes between me and a task, I will do what ever it takes to complete that…job."

"That's crazy Lightning" Stella responded, "I could never do that!"

"Yeah, me too" replied Noctis.

The three remained silent for some time.

"We should probably leave" Stella said.

Lightning nodded her head. The three then said their goodbyes and left the apartment building to return to their normal lives.

Noctis stepped outside into the mid winter air. Looking around he noticed a black van parked across the street. It seemed too nice to be in that place, but Noctis thought nothing of it.

Inside of the car were two men dressed in suits. One of them was holding a cell phone. "I'll alert Giovanni" he spoke and as he dialed a number. After a few seconds, the man was greeted with a 'hello'. "Sir, we think we've found out something very interesting about your son."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **I'll let you guys decide who the brother and family friend are. Oh I forgot to mention that General Lorelei is the long haired general from the recent trailer (the 'for every task, there's a perfect tool' one). Trion is an original character, but just imagine Vane from FFXII and you got the picture.

Thanks for **Yuki **and **Dawn **for the reviews. Thans gals!

All things are the property of Square Enix.


	14. Expressionism

Giovanni had been busy with the upcoming peace negotiations with the Ivalice king. The meeting had already been pushed back a few months because of fights and riots that took place on the kingdom's border with certain militia groups. Once that problem was eliminated, Giovanni deemed it safe enough for him to leave Tenebrae in the hands of Noctis.

Everything had been arranged, until the king had received a phone call from the head of his security detail. On Thursday evening, they had followed the prince to an apartment complex in the city. The men had no idea what Noctis was doing there, but the fact that he had not told anyone about this raised a red flag. Worse, the building's manager had supplied information that this was not the first time the prince had visited.

Giovanni, at the last minute, changed his plans for the week.

**

* * *

**

Oblivious to his father's intentions, Noctis had spent the week after Thursday evening with joy. He had gone ahead and rummaged through the palace's library to find all of his mother's old piano scores, to see what she liked and what he wanted to hear Lightning play. The prince had gone as far as to dust off his mother's grand piano that was shoved in the corner of the east wing study.

Feeling brave, he pondered the idea of playing the instrument. He muttered what he thought were the proper scales and then tried to play it out on the piano. Rather than hearing the melodious notes that Lightning had made, Noctis produced a few clanks and clunks.

He winced, remembering then why he had despised piano lesions with a passion. Shrugging, he decided to leave the piano to the professionals.

A small smile grew on his face as he thought about Lightning playing the piano, wondering is perhaps she could show him how to play it.

His bliss was momentarily disturbed by the arrival of Quinn. "He Noct."

"Hi Quinn" quickly replied the prince, forgetting about the smile on his face.

For a moment Quinn stopped walking and stared at the prince. "You…you're smiling" he stammered. "Is the apocalypse coming? Are you sick?" He then touched the prince's forehead.

"Quinn, I'm fine" came the reply as Noctis brushed the hand off of his face. "I was just…thinking about someone."

"Oh, I see." Quinn didn't buy the answer, but knew it was in his best interest not to push Noctis further as he handed the prince a pad of paper with notes on it. "Well, I have your schedule for the week. And I also want you to know that your father is going to be leaving for Dalmasca this Wednesday for the Ivalice treaty signing and will not be returning until Saturday."

"That's good."

Quinn then turned to leave the room.

"Hey Quinn" Noctis spoke up, "Thanks for everything."

Quinn smiled and left the prince alone once again, with his thoughts and ponderings about the upcoming meeting.

**

* * *

**

At the Fluret estate, Stella was busy spending time in the family library. She had ransacked the entire room for any botanical or flower books. Anything that had a picture of the flowers she had seen earlier that week.

The princess knew she had seen those flowers before, but she had no idea where.

After going through twenty books, she decided that the only person to talk to was her mother. The winter season that had cloaked Tenebrae for the past few months was just now beginning to relent. Soon the palace gardens would be filled with the colors of spring.

Grabbing a light jacket, Stella began to walk through the maze of hedges and trees in search of her mother. The queen prided herself on manting the best garden in Tenebrae and personally supervised the care and planting of all the vegetation at the estate. It was her was of bringing the countryside she had loved into the city.

In the center of the backyard was a huge patch of newly planted flowers, which is where Stella finally found her mother, knees covered with dirt and her aged blond hair hanging down her back.

"Stella" she spoke, as she heard her daughter approach. "I didn't expect you to see you here?"

"Mom, I have a question" the princess replied.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"I'm looking for a type of flower: light purple with yellow streaks. Any idea what type that is?"

The queen sighed, trying to think of the right flower daughter was asking about. "Well, can I ask how many petals there were?"

"Three."

"How many center stems were there?"

"Six."

The queen shook her head. "I think you're describing a lily, and it probably looks like this." She then grabbed a potted plant that was hidden behind her. Stella's eyes went wide.

"That's it!" she cried.

The queen laughed. "It is called the Plummer's mariposa lily. It is a rare plant and is only found in the north, mountainous territory by the Nibel Mountain range."

Stella thought about the information. "What settlements are there?"

"There were a dozen or so towns in that area, but they were all destroyed about a dozen years ago."

Stella looked at the flower realizing that maybe its location and secrets could help Lightning with her past.

_If only Noctis was like this_ she thought to herself.

**

* * *

**

Thursday evening arrived once again. Like clockwork, Rex and Adrian had taken the prince to the Fynn Apartment building and he entered the building with no trouble. He entered the meeting room and was greeted by the melodious playing of scales. Rather than ruin the moment, Noctis decided to enter the room, but not interrupt the playing.

The way Lightning played the instrument was so delicate and precise that it amazed him how effortless she made it look. Where he had tripped earlier on the piano, she had played flawlessly. Just like her, she seemed to be perfect…but perhaps a little too perfect to be real. It seemed like just when he could predict her character and actions, Lightning went and changed. All that did was force him to open himself up to her, yet he worried that perhaps she would close herself off to others.

As her practice wrapped up, Noctis finally approached Lightning and greeted her. Her reply was a simple smile and her dazzling eyes.

"I hope your week was less stressful" she commented.

"Oh, my life is always stressful" Noctis replied as he pulled up a chair. "I just never get a break."

Lightning laughed. "Maybe it's a good thing then that you're spending time listening."

"Yeah, it is nice not to contemplate every moment of my life." He wanted to mention that guarding the crystal was becoming less of a chore and more of a full time job, but he decided it was not appropriate to say that to Lightning.

Finally taking a seat, he nodded his head that he was ready. Lightning responded and began to play a Chopin Prelude in E minor Op. 28 No. 4.

Quickly, a vision entered the prince's mind.

_The girl was sitting in a tree. It looked like she had just climbed up the tree as she was out of breath and laughing. Peering out from behind the dense braches, the girl saw great purple, snow capped mountains and a crystal blue sky._

_She smiled._

_But then her eyes caught something…a thick trail of soiled smoke!_

_She immediately jumped out of the tree and ran away toward her home._

With that, the vision ended.

Noctis was puzzled because the song continued for a few more minutes before Lightning finally reached the end.

When the room was silent, he explained what he saw. "Maybe that was a signal?" he told Lightning.

"But why did I run away?"

"I don't know…" Looking at his watch he realized that it was already time for him to head back to the palace in time for the night crew to arrive. "Sorry that was such a lame vision."

"It's not your fact Noct. The fact that you can even see them is more important to me, and I appreciate it."

Lightning smiled and started playing a soft jazz song on the piano.

At that moment, Noctis placed his hands on her shoulders. He didn't move for a few moments, making sure that he really wanted to do this. Lightning finally turned her head up to look at the prince. A small smile played on her face. Noctis then took a deep breath and slowly leaned down to let his mouth meet hers. As his lips neared hers, he could taste her breath. They were nearly there, just a few inches away…

"NOCTIS!"

The prince immediately stood straight up in fear at the sound of that voice. From the back of the room stepped Giovanni. Right behind him was a guilty looking Quinn and a few security officers.

"Father…what…" a reply was trapped in Noctis' throat as he struggled to say something.

Lightning's face was drained of all color, her blue eyes wide with terror.

"You really thought you could do something without my knowledge?" asked Giovanni, his deep voice was controlled, but was on the verge of loosing it. "Say good bye to your friend."

At the bequest of his father, Noctis nodded his head. Lightning needed no direction as she gathered her sheets of music and walked across the room to the exit. She avoided eye contact with Giovanni as she passed him, but managed to catch a glimpse from Quinn. The assistant reached one of his hands forward and touched Lightning's arm.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered to her. Lightning made no response and was soon out of the room. That left a shaken Noctis to be at the mercy of an enraged Giovanni.

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Author's Note: Ugh, I had trouble with this chapter because there are a lot of plot threads that needed to be resolved. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it!

Thanks for the reviews from **IWOBYD, Dawn, nickJoffdaCHAIN, flower on thewind, **and **Yuki**. Also, huge thanks for **gagboy** who read through the entire story in one night and commented on many of the chapters. Thanks so much!


	15. Duel of Words

Doing something wrong is one thing. Doing the same act and knowing intentionally that it is wrong. But when one does both, and gets caught, that's a whole new world of trouble.

Noctis couldn't help but look at his father. His eyes were furious even if his face showed nothing to hint that he was. Those piercing eyes scared him as a child and scared him now.

_Crap, I'm in for it now, _Noctis thought.

Giovanni sighed and then finally broke the unbearable silence.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum, what are you doing here?"

Noctis turned his gaze to his shifting feet, trying not to look at his father, but that worked for only a few seconds.

"I…I was meeting with Lightning…"

"That woman?"

Noctis replied with a robotic yes.

Silence filled the room once again and Giovanni broke it with a scream. "WHAT ON GAIA WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"I was just…"

"DON'T INTERUPT ME!" Giovanni bit his lower lip, trying to control the anger that was within him. He took a few deep breaths before he collected himself and questioned his son again. "How long have you been seeing her?"

Noctis wanted to get out of this questioning, but there was no way for him to escape, no backdoor or magic spell that could help him now. "A few months now."

Giovanni made no reply so Noctis took the lead. "Father, I trust her and I didn't tell her anything."

"Oh, of course you didn't. You _trust_ her. You trusted her enough to spend a few hours with you a week, and become romantically attacked to her…"

"That's a lie!"

"Then what were you doing just now?!"

Noctis saw no way out of the question. "I…I…"

"You were going to kiss her" Giovanni finished the sentence. "You were going to kiss that stranger Noctis!"

"Lightning is not a stranger!"

"Sure, if you believe every word out of her mouth. Who knows who she is Noctis!"

"I ordered a background check…"

"And I read that same report."

Something clicked in Noctis' mind at that moment. "You…you think she's one of the enemy."

"Noctis, Tenebrae is at war…"

"Lightning is a victim is this war!"

"She has a sketchy and abysmally minimal background…"

"She has no memory of her past!"

"She doesn't deserve your attention!"

"I CARE ABOUT HER" Noctis screamed at the top of his lungs.

Giovanni stared at his son for a few moments. His son and heir had voluntarily defended this woman. She had blinded him.

Quietly, Giovanni walked over to his son and stood a foot away from him. While Noctis was surely feeling brave and empowered, what the king saw was disobedience and foolishness.

In a simple motion, without breaking his face, Giovanni slapped Noctis hard across the face, the sound of the impact echoing in the room. His son's head spun to the side and he collapsed on the ground. Noctis would live, even if his face would string for a few days afterward.

"Listen to me Noctis. You are not to see that girl again. With all of the circumstances and happenings of the world, it is your best interest as future king to protect yourself. We will discus your punishment later."

Giovanni turned around and left the room with his bodyguards, leaving Noctis is on the ground. Only Quinn remained in the room, where he quickly rushed to Noctis' side and helped him up off the ground. He then began examining the prince's face.

"Did…did you tell him…" Noctis whimpered.

"No" Quinn replied. "But Adrian told me what you were doing and where you were going, but I said nothing to the king."

It was times like this when he realized how helpless he really was, even as the protector of the crystal, even as the prince of Tenebrae. He just wanted to be in control of his own life, without the title of royalty.

At that moment, though Noctis could not see it, his deep blue eyes became a deep scarlet color.

* * *

Lightning had slipped out into the hallway, terrified that she was in the same room as the king. No one had followed her as she exited the room, allowing her an opportunity leave the door ajar and eavesdrop on the conversation.

When she was out of sight, Lightning began to pound a fist against her head.

_Idiot! You stupid idiot! What the heck were you doing?!_

She ground her teeth together. Her intention was to get close to Noctis, but this relationship with him was becoming too heated. Lightning was not supposed to care about others. She thought she was incapable of caring for others with her icy cold exterior and loner personality.

But Noctis had somehow managed to thaw through that part of her; the part that she thought was her greatest strength.

From within the room, she heard the echoes of the conversation.

_"WHAT ON GAIA WERE YOU THINKING!?"_

_"I was just…"_

_"DON'T INTERUPT ME!"_

Lightning's eyes widened. The way the king yelled…it scared her.

_"How long have you been seeing her?"_

_"A few months now. Father, I trust her and I didn't tell her anything."_

_"Oh, of course you didn't. You trust her. You trusted her enough to spend a few hours with you a week, and become romantically attacked to her…"_

_"That's a lie!"_

Noctis was standing up for her…

_"Then what were you doing just now?!"_

_"I…I…"_

_"You were going to kiss her! You were going to kiss that stranger Noctis!"_

_"Lightning is not a stranger!"_

_"Sure, if you believe every word out of her mouth. Who knows who she is Noctis!"_

_"I ordered a background check…"_

_"And I read that same report."_

Lightning hit her head again. Now not only did Noctis know about her, the king of Tenebrae had read her background report. Wonderful, another person to watch out for.

_"You…you think she's one of the enemy."_

_"Noctis, Tenebrae is at war…"_

_"Lightning is a victim is this war!"_

Lightning wondered why on earth the prince was defending her.

_"She has a sketchy and abysmally minimal background…"_

_"She has no memory of her past!"_

_"She doesn't deserve your attention!"_

_"I CARE ABOUT HER!"_

At that, Lightning's mouth dropped and she backed away from the door. Her hand started shaking and her eyes began to burn.

_He…he cares about me?_

Lightning didn't bother to listen to the rest of the conversation. She grabbed her black purse, and ran as fast as she could down the hallway to an alley exit. The cold air filled her lungs, almost chocking her as she gasped for air.

She then slammed her back against a wall, breathed heavily, and slid to the ground, sobbing.

This was not what she had wanted. He cared about her…Noctis had feelings for her. And she _cared _that he had feelings for her.

It was a weird sensation. Lightning's heart was throbbing in her chest and her head was screaming in pain.

"I can't care about him" she spoke aloud. "I want to, but I can't….I can't."

Lightning sat in the alleyway for a few more minutes. She rubbed her nose with her hand, and then tried her best to stop the tears that were flowing from her eyes.

_Less than a month. That's how long I have to stay focused. Just hang on…_

**

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**Author's Note:** Sorry about the short length guys. I promise that I'll give you guys a few extra chapters the next few days. Thanks for the reviews from **sillyscenegirl, Dawn, nickJoffdaCHAIN, flower on thewind, **and **gagboy**.

Don't worry, everything will turn out alright for the characters in the end, but that might take a while.


	16. Operatic Trill

Lightning waited for a phone call, email, anything from Noctis before she made any attempt to contact him. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she returned to the regular spot Giovanni might show up and give her a piece of his mind. So, in an attempt to be patient, the pianist waited a week, but she heard nothing from the prince.

Two weeks after their last meeting, Lightning was becoming desperate. At the end of her options, she decided there was only one other person who might be able to help her.

Dialing a number on her cell phone, Lightning waited for the person she was calling to hopefully pick up.

After a few rings, she heard a gentle 'hello' over the phone.

"Stella, it's Lightning. As much as I hate to say this, I'm going to need your help."

**

* * *

**

An hour later, Lightning was at the Fleuret estate. A maid had directed her to the gardens. However, she had no real directions as to how to get to Stella. As a result, she spend some thirty minutes wandering through the backyard trying to find the princess.

_At least the sun is finally out, _she though to herself, as she unzipped her sweater and allowed the welcoming rays of the spring sun to touch her.

Finally, Lightning found the princess near a patch of flowers. Stella was crouching on the ground, intently looking at something. To her surprise, the princess was barefoot.

As Lightning neared, she realized the object of interest was a group of flower.

"Afternoon Stella" Lightning said.

The princess turned her face towards Lightning and smiled. She then waved her hand, beckoning for her guest to come near her.

"I want to show you something."

Lightning obeyed, and neared where the princess was sitting.

"Do you know what that is Lighting?" The princess pointed to a three pelted flower that was light purple, decorated with sun colored lines of hairs and a deep purple middle.

"No."

"That is my new favorite flower: the Plummer's mariposa lily."

"So…why are you showing me this?"

Stella giggled, "Because, that is the flower I saw than night you played the piano. They are found in the northern mountainous areas of Gaia, so maybe that is where you grew up."

Lightning was touched. "You actually went to that much trouble for me?"

"Of course," Stella responded as she stood up. "I care about you."

She smiled again, her violet eyes dazzled in the light. The princess then started to walk away from the bed of flowers. Lightning followed.

"So, what's wrong" Stella asked.

Lightning sighed, and began to fiddle with her fingers. "Well, it's about Noctis."

"I haven't heard from him in a while."

"Yeah, I think I'm responsible for that." Lightning said guiltily.

"Why?"

"We had a meeting, and King Caelum walked in on us."

Stella stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh man."

"Yeah, he didn't seem too happy about me or Noct for that matter. Is he like that all the time?"

Stella sighed. "From what I know, King Giovanni is very protective of his son. He cares about his son very much, but sometimes interferes too much in his son's life.

"What happened?"

"They yelled…" Lightning then remembered that Noctis had expressed feelings for her. It probably was not right to tell Stella that bit of information.

"It's okay. Noct is probably being punished right now. Likely being watched 24/7, forced to go to certain events, not being allowed out of the palace, that stuff."

Stella then saw a marble bench nearby and walked towards it with the intention of sitting down.

"Do you want to talk to him" the princess asked.

"I do, but he hasn't returned my calls" Lightning quickly added.

"Well, Giovanni's out of the kingdom in Ivalice, and Noct is…" her face then lit up. "I got it!"

"What?"

"If he can't come to you, then you'll have to come to him. Just meet with him at the palace."

"How" Lightning asked.

"I'll drive you there."

"Alright, but how are you going to tell him this plan?"

"The prince will probably be at the opening night of The Magic Flute opera. I'll simply meet him there."

Stella then gave Lightning a soft, supportive hug. Things were going to turn out alright after all.

* * *

Stella had arrived fashionably late to the opera house that night, almost missing the overture. She had never seen The Magic Flute before, as she always tried her best to avoid any functions or celebrations at the opera house. Tonight, however, the princess was present only because she wanted to pass information onto Noctis.

For the event, she chose a fresh green colored gown. Gold beads were hung on the lower of part of the outfit, like a flapper dress starting gingerly from the waistline, and increasing in number as the dress went down. The top of the dress was cut in a V-neck, accentuated by a thin strand of gold beads at its edges. To bring the gold out more, she wore a plain gold necklace with a dozen graduated tear drops of the precious metal. Stella had also chosen elegant long white gloves and a beaded gold clutch. It was her hope that her appearance was suitable and helped her not to stand out in the crowd.

Though her family and the Caelum's lived in the same kingdom, there was a great rivalry between the two surrounding the crystal. Any interaction between the families was thought to be taboo and was frowned upon. To protect herself and Noctis, the princess decided to do all she could to keep their meeting as quick and discrete as possible.

Taking her seat on the ground floor, she marveled at the baroque style of the theater. All of the ornate decorations were in gleaming gold that complimented the deep scarlet seats, curtain, and walls of the theater. The whole room was light by a magnificent yellow chandler that hung in the center of the ceiling. The ceiling, as opposed to the rest of the interior, was painted as a diagram of the night sky above Tenebrae, with the stars each being balls of crystal that gleamed like diamonds.

As the overture began to play, Stella opened her clutch and produced a pair of gold opera glasses. She then pressed the instrument to her face and looked around the room, trying to find Noctis. Moving from the left to right she looked in the second floor balconies, the left private balconies, the centered booths, and then…There he was. She found Noctis on one of the right side balconies. Seeing the prince, Stella smiled and placed the glasses back into her clutch. She would talk to him during the second act. In the mean time, the overture had just ended and the curtain rose to signal the beginning of the opera.

* * *

By the second act, Noctis was becoming incredibly bored. He had already seen this particular opera once every year for the past twelve years. It was to the point where he could remember the dialogues to all the characters and songs, in English and German. This year he had hoped to make some sort of excuse to his father in order to get out of the opera, but he was out of luck. The opera house had been expecting a royal viewing from the Caelum family and they had an obligation to appear.

He glanced over the gilded balcony he was in over to the state. The Queen of the Night's Aria was about to start. It was a song that he wondered every year just how the soprano could reach notes so high. Sometimes she sounded like a bird. Noctis simply hoped that this year the soprano's voice did not crack in the middle of the piece like last year.

The room became filled with the sound of strings. After a few moments the soprano began to sing.

_Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen, Tod und Verzweiflung flammet um mich her!_

So far so good. A rustle from the curtained entrance caught his attention. It sounded like a little mouse was skittering behind him. He thought nothing of it and returned to listening to the opera.

_Fühlt nicht durch dich Sarastro Todesschmerzen, Sarastro Todesschmerzen_

A second, louder rustling caught his attention once again. Now he fully turned around. Quite annoyed, Noctis whispered as quietly as he could: "The entrance is on the left side." He then returned to opera.

_So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr. So bist du meine Tochter nimmermehr._

Next came a series of staggering, staccato notes that made the singer sound like a dressed up bird. He held his breath, waiting for the screeching sound of the high F. It came, and went as quickly as it came. The strings then came cascading down in like a waterfall, allowing the poor soprano a chance to breathe.

"Hello, Noct."

Noctis almost fell out of the balcony when he heard that. Terrified, he looked to his side to see Stella.

"What the heck were you doing? You nearly killed me!" Noctis grunted through his teeth. His face was paler than normal.

"I apologize," Stella whispered. "It's just…"

"What?" Noctis interrupted.

"Well…I came to talk to you about Lightning."

The instant she said the word 'Lightning' she had his complete attention. Noctis realized this was not going to be a simple momentary visit and motioned for Stella to sit in the vacant chair behind him. She remained crouched as she moved to the back. Meanwhile, the prince scanned the room, making sure that no one in the upper balconies saw him with Stella. Quietly, he moved his seat so that his head was sitting behind canopied curtain that adorned the booth. When he thought he and Stella were hidden enough, he then leaned back in his chair and motioned for the princess to whisper into his ear. The princess then leaned forward so that her chin was resting on the top of Noctis' chair, making sure she was careful to keep her face hidden.

"I talked with Lightning earlier today. She told me that your father had found you two together and seemed a little terrified about the whole situation."

"Yeah, my father was angry that I was spending time with Lightning."

"Well, I think I can get you two to meet again."

"How?"

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow night?"

"Just another pointless ball. Why?"

"I want to bring Lightning to the palace. Have her be your private guest."

Noctis thought for a moment. That just might work.

"That will work."

"Excellent. I'll have her chauffeured to your home at around 6 in the evening. That sound good?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll let Lightning know that. I need to return to my seat. See you tomorrow."

In an instant, Stella had vanished out of the booth. Noctis then moved his seat back to its original position. For the first time all night, a small smile was on his face. He could not wait to see Lightning again.

He then placed his focus back on the singer on the stage. The Aria was almost over.

_Hört, Hört, Hört, Rachegötter, hört der Mutter Schwur!_

* * *

Miles away from the opera house Lightning was in her apartment, doing some quick cleaning. Most of this had to do with the piles of papers that were strewn over the floor and the numerous dirt dishes in the sink. She had realized that her living quarters were being neglected while she was spending time with Noctis. Now that he had had the pervious nights off, she had a chance to do some cleaning. More importantly, she was able to do some sightseeing around the city and take care of some much needed business.

Tonight, Lightning had been practicing on her small upright piano that the apartment had, trying to recall some songs from her past. She was deep in thought, trying her hardest t remember the next set of notes to the particular piece when her slim phone that was placed atop the instrument began to vibrate. Pausing, she picked the phone up, noticing that she had received a text message from Stella.

Opening the phone, she quickly pushed the correct buttons to allow her to read the message.

_Talked to Noct. Plan is good. Will meet w/ you tomorrow. – Stella._

"So" she whispered to herself, "Noctis and I will meet again."

She shut the phone, placed it back on the piano and stood up. Her memories would have to wait for the moment.

Lightning instinctively walked into her small bedroom and opened the doors to her closet. She then pushed aside the numerous dresses, pants, and shirts that were stuffed inside the tiny space revealing her large oversized purse. She quietly chuckled at how much stuff she actually had. Picking the bag up, she placed it off to the side, allowing her full access to a decently sized boxed safe that was previously unseen. Quickly, Lightning turned the circular lock until it had spelled out the correct combination of 12-18-09.

A clanking sound signaled that the safe was unlocked. She then removed the objects the safe held: multiple documents in light yellow folders with the word CLASSIFIED stamped with red ink across each coversheet, some brown envelopes sealed with the Caelum family crest in distilled wax, key that was hanging on a wolf head emblem, and finally, a small black tape recorder. Seeing the safe was completely empty, Lightning closed the door, and spun the turner to a random number. She then took the contents of the safe and carefully placed them in her large black bag. Lightning then located a stack of music sheets in the closet, and placed a decent number into the bag around the safe documents.

By the stack of papers in the closet was a cardboard box. She took it out and peered inside it, making sure that everything was where it should be. All of the necessary wires, container of pale clay like substance, electrical clips, and timer present and accounted for. She placed that box back inside the closet and closed its door.

Smiling with satisfaction, she then kneeled on the carpeted floor, and peered under her small bed. She then removed a long cardboard box from underneath it and placed the box on top of her bed. Lightning noticed that some dust had gathered on the box and lightly brushed her hand across the box. Opening it revealed multiple colored scarves, odd blankets, mismatched socks and a few knickknacks. She dug her hand into the assortment of junk until she touched a piece of tough leather.

Lightning pulled her hand out of the box. Griped solidly in her it was a long red leather case, adorned with zippered pockets and cases. She smirked as she looked at the bag; in it was her second favorite instrument behind the piano. Taking the bag in both hands, she held it like a gun and took a militaristic stance, and then looked over to the mirror that adorned the wall opposite her, closed one eye and smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Crazy stuff is about to go down in the next chapter. The song used here is from Mozart's opera _The Magic Flute_. The whole opera is fantastic, honestly any piece by Mozart is incredible, and it is also one of the last pieces that the composer wrote before he died.

The song that is sung is perhaps the most popular song: The Queen of the Night Aria from the second act. The lines are the original German, which I got from Wikipedia. The song basically translates out into a revenge song in which the queen calls for her daughter to kill someone. And it includes, I kid you not, one of the highest notes you'll ever hear. I'm a soprano and I still have no idea how the singer manages to hit those notes.

Finally, thanks for all of the reviews guys! **TutuandJo, Yuki, gagboy, LeRouge The Rouge, nickJoffdaChain, Vaniolel, **and **Dawn**. Thanks for the lovely comments!

Characters are all owned by Square Enix.


	17. Confessions and Actions

Lightning returned to her apartment at around 3 in the morning.

She was slightly annoyed that the events of the past few hours were not according to plan. The information she had been given about the building were out of date. As a result, her thighs and torso were decorated with shards of rock and metal.

Lightning grunted as she walked to the bathroom, pulled off her attire, leaving a tank top and pair of shorts on, grabbed a pair of tweezers, and began to pull the bits of debris out of her skin. With each pull, she winced. It wasn't too terrible of a pain, but there were so many that the pain was magnified. Her skin looked like Swiss cheese.

In the middle of this, her phone rang.

When she answered it, her contact asked what had happened.

"You tell me?"

Her contact continued to talk.

"Look, how was I supposed to know that there was a new camera field…"

A few excuses were uttered by the man.

"It's still there. So it looks like the plan will happen tomorrow."

The man was annoyed, but accepted her statement.

"Well, I certainly hope this inside man is prepared."

There was a moment of silence. Then came a direct order.

Lightning shifted. "I'm not a killer, I don't…"

She was cut off.

"That was not part of the original obligations."

He continued.

"NO! I can follow them through; I'm just a little shocked that the general is so affirmative in that order."

_Oh man, _she thought to herself, _Maybe I am in over my head_

"It'll be done. I'll do it!"

She turned the phone off and sighed. This new order, she did not want to carry out.

The phone no longer had any use for her so she removed the phone's memory chip, snapped it in two and threw it in the garbage.

Lightning then sighed, and took a look at herself in the bathroom mirror. Nothing was right with her.

_What have I become…_

* * *

Being confined to the palace, the meetings that Giovanni had every morning were taken place there, with Noctis as the head of the meeting. It was odd feeling, being the one person in control of so much power. He was the head of the state, and all eyes wee focused on him.

The meeting consisted of a few orders here and there; some tasks that were too important or delicate for the prince to take care of were passed off until Giovanni returned to Tenebrae, and a few calls to the minor dukes and duchesses of Ivalice. All the while, as Noctis sat in the study, Quinn was busy taking notes and filling paper.

During the middle of his conversation with Lady Ashe, Administer Yuri entered the room. His face looked grim and tired. "My lord, I have grave news: there was an attack on the Crystal Shrine. The building took quite a bit of damage from the explosion."

Noctis immediately told the Lady Ashe to hold for a few moments, and turned to Yuri. "When did this happen?"

"Last night around midnight."

"What about the crystal?"

"It is safe, prince."

Noctis leaned back in his chair. The thought of someone, especially Algentia, getting the crystal would lead to catastrophic consequences for Tenebrae. "What should we do General?"

"May I suggest we relocate the crystal nearer to where you will be?"

Noctis contemplated this decision. "I'll be spending the night at the palace. So bring it here."

The General seemed pleased with that suggestion, but Quinn was sensed something was wrong. He said nothing and glared at Noctis with a frowning face.

The prince continued. "Have the crystal brought here and placed in the safe on the basement. Increase security and make sure that the public has no idea that the crystal is being moved. I don't want a panic."

"Very well." The general then bowed before Noctis and left the room. When he was gone, Quinn finally spoke what was on his mind.

"Noct, I thought you were going to attend the charity ball tonight. Your father would be…"

"He's not here right now Quinn, and I have decided to invite Lightning over for the evening."

"But…"

"Please Quinn, let me do this. I promise nothing wrong will happen."

The assistant sighed, and fiddled with his glasses for a moment before responding. "Alright. But if anything goes wrong, it's your problem."

* * *

The prince spent the rest of the day making sure that everything was in order. Everything had to be perfect when Lightning arrived. Because the late time of her arrival, Noctis had decided to not risk having anyone report to his father about his visitor and chose to have Lightning spend the night at the palace. He had made sure the guest room was ready for an evening visit from a foreign dignitary, allowed for some of the guards to take the evening off, and had made sure Quinn, Rex, and Adrian had a free evening for themselves.

At around 5, Stella parked her blue sedan in front of the main entrance. She waved at Noctis as she got out with Lightning.

"Hi Noct" she yelled, smiling.

Lightning remained quiet, a more serious look on her face.

"Stella, Lightning, good to see you guys…" the prince began. Before he could finish, he was in the arms of Stella.

"I saw you last night, why are you hugging me?"

"I…" she pulled back, "I'm glad to see you again."

Lightning then approached the two. In her hands were her black purse and a duffle bag.

Noctis then turned to Lightning, and gave her a soft hug. "Are you alright?" He whispered to her.

"Yeah, just a little tired. I'm glad your dad didn't kill you" she replied.

Stella's smile faded a little. It was the first time she had ever seen the two really interact with each other since their meeting. Noctis was actually being kind to her without the other person pushing him. That was a good thing, but she felt a little sad that she was not the one who broke that shell of his.

"Well, I need to get back home," Stella spoke. "Call me if anything happens." Stella then walked to her car, ready to leave the two.

"Thank you Stella" said Lightning, as she waved goodbye to the princess.

"Thanks Stella" yelled Noctis.

At that, the princess' cheeks went a little red. She smiled, got into the car and drove off. As she drove off, her eyes were fixed on the car's rear mirror, watching as Noctis and Lightning entered the palace.

_I wish I were her, _she thought to herself.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Noctis had assisted Lightning in carrying her luggage into the guest room. He had commented on how such a thin girl like her could have such a heavy bag for one night's stay. Lightning had laughed the comment off, simply stating that she "couldn't live without those things".

Once settled, Noctis took Lightning to the study and showed her the piano.

Lighting had gasped at the beauty of the instrument. "It's lovely."

Noctis shook his head in agreement. "My mother, she always insisted that I learn to play. I stopped taking lessons at age eight, when she passed away.

"I see." The pianist looked sympathetically at the prince. "Was she, was she like your father?"

"Oh, no. From what I remember, she was kind and gentle. She…she was a wonderful mother. Heck, even my father was better before she died."

"Oh."

"It's life. People change. He became king, and the empire became his son." Noctis spoke with a hint of remorse.

"Well" the prince spoke, wanting to get his mind onto the session, "want to see what the new memory is?"

Lightning shook her head up and down, and then took a seat on the piano's bench, and waited for Noctis to take a seat.

"I thought I would try Bach again if that's alright: "Erbarme dich" from the St. Matthew Passion."

"Fine with me."

Lightning started to play, and the prince closed his eyes. Instantly, his line of sight changed from black to overwhelming red and orange.

_The girl was running from someone…a soldier. She was screaming and crying._

_Behind her was the town, burning in flames._

_"Mommy! Brother!" the little girl screamed._

_Tears running down her face, she was caught by the officer. He was trying to calm her down, but the girl kicked and screamed at him._

_Another man appeared and was yelling at the soldier to shut up. He then grabbed the butt of his gun and slammed it into the girl's head._

_She collapsed to the ground, eyes closed and screams silenced._

As the song ended, Noctis' mind continued to run. So that must have been when she lost her memory, and how she ended up somewhere else.

"Lightning?" the prince began.

"Yeah, what did you see?"

"I think I know how you lost your memory. Could you move your head forward?"

Lightning obeyed. Noctis then began to feel through her head of hair, pressing her skull to see if there was a mark or indent. The pianist whimpered a few times as Noctis accidently pulled at some of her hair. Finally, he found a grove.

"Here, feel this." He then replaced his hand with one of Lightning's. Her eyes widened a bit as she stroked the spot.

"I…I had no idea that was there."

"Lightning, I saw your village burned to the ground and you being grabbed by a solider. You were screaming and so they shut you up with the blow of a gun butt against the skull."

Hearing that Lightning's whole face softened, eyes filled with worry and fear. "Did…did you see my family?"

"No. I think they died in the fire, or were taken somewhere else."

Noctis was filled with pity. He had thought his life was a struggle, but Lightning's story had made his life pale in comparison to the horror she must have gone through. But finally, her past was untangled for the most part, and he had a clearer idea of who she was: a strong, beautiful woman who fended for herself. Noctis admired that.

And yet as he looked at Lightning, the prince was still confused. Something was off about her tonight. She was quieter, like there was something she was dreading to do.

"Are you alright Lightning" he asked gently.

She glanced up at the prince. "Huh…oh yeah. I…um, just a little shaken by that last description."

Noctis nodded. He then had an idea. "Would you like to see the gardens?"

"That…that sounds wonderful Noctis."

A few minutes later, the two were touring through the palace's garden. Noctis enjoyed listening to Lightning comment on how Stella's gardens were different and how many flowers there were. It seemed like the pianist was once again her normal self.

"So," she asked, "what is your favorite area of the gardens?"

Noctis thought for a moment. "Well, there's the lily pond. That is always fun to see at night, especially in the summer when the flowers are in bloom."

"Could you show me that?"

Noctis nodded his head and guided his guest to the pond. In reality, the pond was a constructed pool that was sporadically dotted with a few tiny lily pads. Around the edge of the pool were a walkway, and a thick planting of trees, and branches. Noctis had forgotten that the staff had strung Christmas Lights in the trees, making the whole area blink and glitter with light.

Lightning smiled at the scene, enchanted by it. She then walked over to the clear pool, and smiled to see her reflection in the rippled water. Noctis decided to join her. But before he could reach the edge, his foot slipped on a puddle of water and he started to fall into the pool. Lightning tried to act fast and grabbed Noctis by one arm, but she was not strong enough to pull him back.

All the prince heard was "Woa…woa…Nocti..." and then a heavy splash.

The two fell into the warm clear water of the pool.

As they were under water Noctis caught a glimpse of Lightning's eyes. They seemed full of surprise. Their blue color was highlighted even more by the fact that the water around was reflecting the cobalt tiled surface of the pool. He could stay there forever, watching her eyes, but unfortunately, he needed to breathe.

Gently he swam his way to the surface, making sure that Lightning did the same. He had a feeling that the warm water would make the air above freezing. He was right as he nearly screamed as he drew a deep breath into his lungs. The water stung his eyes. The only hint that Lightning had made it up was the sound of her large breath.

"YOU JERK! WHY'D YOU DO THAT!?" Lightning screamed.

Noctis could not help but laugh.

"What!?" Lightning asked.

The prince continued to laugh, continuing to tread water.

"Because…" Noctis began. "Because…I think I love you."

Noctis was still taking deep breaths. He stared into Lightning's eyes, unsure of what emotion she was projecting. The princes sensed fear, concern, and perhaps delight in her eyes. At that moment he wanted to kiss her, hold her and never let go.

Still looking into her eyes, Noctis moved closer to Lightning, until he was inches from her face. He then closed his eyes, and moved toward her face, trying to meet his lips with hers. What he did not expect was for Lightning to turn her lips away from Noctis at the last second. Noctis ended up kissing her ear.

"Lightning?" he spoke, after he had pulled away from her face, confused as to what happened.

"Noctis" she said firmly, "can…let's…get out of here."

"Okay."

Noctis caught a glimpse of Lightning's face. She appeared to be crying. His face softened as he held one of her hands and helped Lightning swim to the stairs of the pool. He could see that Lightning's dress was clinging to her body, but he refused to look. Still holding her hand, he led her into the palace, through the quiet hallways, to the west wing and into his private chambers.

Closing the great oak doors to the red guest room, he then looked at Lightning and smiled. "I think the maids have brought your bags in the closet."

"Thank you." Lightning spoke, her whole body was shivering.

"Do you want anything Lightning" Noctis asked politely.

'No" was the quick reply.

"Well, goodnight."

His hand was on the handle.

"Actually…Noctis, could I spend the night in your room?"

He looked back at her. "Are you sure you want to…"

"Yes" came a firm response. "Just let me get ready."

Noctis was confused. It seemed like one minute she was afraid of him, the next she wanted to be with him. Then again, she had just gone through a lot this night. He left her alone to change out of her wet clothes.

Going a few rooms down the hall, Noctis entered his own bedroom, changed into a pair of dry pants and crawled into his bed. After a few minutes of waiting, Lightning opened the door. In her hand was her black purse and a duffle bag.

"My stuff" she spoke, sounding slightly tired.

Noctis then motioned for her to get into bed. He had never done this before, so he was a little embarrassed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to sleep on the floor or…" he asked.

"No, it's fine" was the reply. "I'm just a little shaken up by the vision you saw."

"Alright. Good night Lightning" he whispered.

"Pleasant dreams Noct" she whispered back.

Noctis then smiled, happy that he was with Lightning. He quickly drifted off to sleep.

Lightning stayed awake for some time. Her head was resting on Noctis' bare chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. She remained completely still; the only motion was her head following the gradual rising and falling of the prince's chest. Adrenaline was flowing through her veins, as she teetered between two options. One, she could remain with Noctis, perhaps become a princess like Stella, live happily with him till they grew old. Or two, she could do what she came to do, and leave Noctis, never to see him again.

She wanted desperately to choose love but, unfortunately, Lightning was too deep into her mission. There was no turning back. No second chance or forgiveness.

It was time for her to do what she came here to do.

Seeing that Noctis was fast asleep, Lightning saw her opportunity. She looked at the alarm clock beside the prince's bed. It was fifteen minutes after three in the morning. Quietly, she slipped out of the bed, and made her way over to her black purse. She had forgotten how cool the room actually was, as she was only wearing her black bra and a pair of matching shorts. Carefully she located the duffle bag and pulled out the red leather case she had packed. Lightning unzipped the case, revealing a cold steal gunblade. Holding it steadily in the air, she then pulled out a box of bullets and loaded the proper amount into the gun chamber. She also took a silencer from her purse and placed it on the barrel of the gunblade. Softly, she places the weapon on the floor.

Lightning then went back to her duffle bag and took out a skin tight bodysuit. The suit was made out of a black leather type material that hugged every inch her body, almost like a second skin. Without making a noise, she put on the outfit, making sure everything was in place. She then located her black leather boots she had worn earlier and zipped then on, making sure they were on the outside of her leggings.

Everything was set.

Closing her eyes, she took and a deep breathe and stood up. The wide windows allowed for the light of the full moon to flood the bedroom. Lightning then walked back to the bed, with gunblade in hand. Arriving on the side nearest the prince, she took one last look at Noctis. If only he knew what was about to happen. She then stroked his face, and kissed him tenderly on his forehead one last time.

Pulling back, her face was devoid of any emotion as she pointed the gunblade directly at Noctis' head.

"Sorry, Noctis" she whispered.

* * *

**Author's Note: 0_O **What a twist! Everything, or at least a majority of the questions you guys have will be answered in the next chapter. I promise.

Thanks for the reviews from **SunflowerWeilder, LeRouge The Rouge, gagboy, Dawn,** and **nickJoffdaCHAIN.**

All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix.


	18. A False Cadence

After a quick breath Lightning spun the gunblade around and pounded the handle into Noctis' head. A sight groan escaped the prince's lips. Lightning then placed two fingers on his neck, just making sure he had a pulse.

_Good bye, Noct_, she thought to herself.

It was time for her to put this life behind her and move forward.

First, she returned and grabbed her black purse. The duffle bag was empty. Lightning then tiptoed out of the bedroom, opened the door, and slipped into the darkened hall. She then made her way to the study. Spying the piano, she took out the tape recorder and placed it on the bench and then arranged a musical score on the sheet holder. With that done, she walked out into the main hall way.

Lightning did not bother to avoid the hidden cameras, but made sure that none of the patrolling guards spotted her. She would take care of the cameras and guarders later. This was made doubly difficult because of the purse and the gunblade in each of her hands

After sneaking through two floors, she made her way to the palace's basement. Scanning around the room, she located noticed a guard wandering aimlessly around. He appeared to be listening to music on his headphones, making him a sitting duck.

Lightning raised the gunblade, closed her left eye, aimed and…the next sound was the thump of the guard's body on the floor. She then walked out from behind her hiding place. Walking to the body, she kicked the man's weapon away. Lightning's face remained emotionless.

A few minutes later, she had located the palace's electrical power supply. She then took a look at her digital watch. 3:27. Once the power was cut she would have thirty minutes before the backup power and secondary guards arrived. Lightning then pressed a button near the gun's trigger, which made the gun breakup, and become a medium sized sword.

Once the sword was ready, she raised the weapon, and sliced the cord. The power in the palace was out.

Lightning then ran out of the basement and down the first floor hallway. A few guards were scrambling around, confused as to what had happened. They were easy for her to shoot down with her gun. Some she took down the reminder with a few punches or kicks. There was one guard that tried to fight back, but Lightning avoided the man's punches by doing a backwards cartwheel. As she had told Noctis, 'practice makes perfect'.

Running through another hall to the western side of the palace, she located the security room, opened the door and unleashed a stream of bullets, destroying all of the monitors, and equipment in the room.

Satisfied, Lightning came to a room that was separated from the others: The Palace Safe.

She left her purse in the hallway beside the door and placed her gunblade in the purse, the oversized weapon sticking out of the bag. Lightning then checked her watch, realizing that she had less than ten minutes before her time was up. That was enough.

Lightning then walked into the room and eyed the large metal door. Beside it was a keypad. She walked up to it and punched the code _7-4-5-1-0-8-# _into the keypad. There was a moment of silence as the computer processed the information. Then the vault doors opened, revealing a small chamber, stacked with documents, the Caelum jewels, swords, antiques, and other objects.

And in the center of it all the greatest prize of all.

There it was. Tenebrae's crystal! The small blue sphere, which was no larger than a lemon, floated in the air. Within it, Lightning could see a whirling vortex of glitter and shards spinning around. There was a slight, beautiful glow that emitted from the jewel.

Lightning's lips crept up, to form a one sided smirk. All of the years of training and hardship had finally paid off. Everything she had worked for was in her grasp.

Lightning walked into the safe, stood by the little ball, stared at it for a few seconds and then clutched the crystal with her right hand and closed her eyes.

Something happened…something very wrong.

Everything went black. Suddenly, an omniscient voice filled the air.

_You have touched the crystal. You have chosen your destiny…to be marked._

A wave of blue strings filled the air, and wrapped around Lightning. She was helpless to stop them as they entwined themselves in her clothes, moving as if they were searching. The strings finally found Lightning's chest and began to condense right above her collar bone.

_Now…I give you my power!_

Without warning, the blue strings began to drill into Lightning's chest. She screamed as she felt her whole body surge with pain. Her chest burned. It was as if her whole body was transforming. Certain areas of her chest were peeling away, as she tried her best to look at the waves surrounding her.

_You are now like them. Your burden…and curse._

The waves around her chest disappeared. Lightning's weakened body was then hurled into the darkness, into the nothingness.

_They are the same._

Lightning opened her eyes in a panic. She glanced around, realizing she was no longer touching the crystal. In fact, she had somehow been thrown out of the safe room, and was now lying on the floor a few dozen feet away from the door.

_Perhaps it was a dream, _she thought.

Lightning then looked at her chest to see her leather suit had ripped open. Blood was flowing from her chest.

Cursing herself, she glanced at her watch and saw she only had a few minutes the power returned. The crystal would have to wait.

Adrenaline flowing, she rushed up the stairs, ran down a few halls, past the smoke filled room of the security office, scooped up her black purse, and rushed to the palace's garage. There, she found a series of cars, of which she chose a black, older model sedan. No longer caring about covering her tracks, Lightning grabbed a hammer that was lying on a nearby workbench, and smashed the passenger side window. Bits of glass fell to the floor.

She then reached through the opened window, and manually opened the door from the inside. Lightning realized there was only minutes left. Closing the door, she crawled into the car's driver seat, making sure that her black purse was inside of the vehicle. She then punched the plastic covering underneath the steering wheel, found the needed wires to turn the ignition, and a GPS device that looked like it was recently installed.

After a few tense moments, the car began to rumble. Still hurrying, she buckled herself into the seat, pushed the garage door opener, and waited impatiently as the exit opened. When the door was opened enough, Lightning pushed the car's accelerator and drove out. Lightning then opened her door's window and tossed the GPS tracker out of the window.

Lightning then maneuvered the car towards the wide side yard. After a minute of driving, she found a weak wired fence. She floored the gas and forced the car through the barrier. When she was through, she took a deep breath in. Lightning made it!

A quick glance into her rearview mirror revealed that the yellowish glow of the palace's lights had returned. But what was in the palace was now behind her, as Lightning drove toward the city of Tenebrae.

**

* * *

**

A screaming sound woke Noctis, making the prince nearly jump out of bed. It was at that moment he felt a pounding beat in his head. He then reached his hand to touch the spot where he felt the pain, and realized the spot was warm to the touch. Eyes widened, he brought his hand to his face. His hand was dabbled with blood!

"Li…Lightning are you…" he turned to where Lightning had been sleeping last night and found her spot vacant. He then frantically looked around the room, noticing that her bag, shoes, everything was gone.

"Lightning?" he shouted as he got out of bed.

"Lightning?" The words echoing through the halls.

He flung the doors open to his study. Glancing around, he saw the familiar piano, the now dimed lights, and an empty room. Noctis ran over to the piano, his eye catching something. It was a tape recorder on the stool. Attached to the object was a little note.

_-Push play.-_

Feeling he knew who it was from, he pushed play. Instantly, the grainy sound of the recording filled the room. After a few moments, a piano song began to play. Looking on the piano's music sheet rest, he saw a score. Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 "Pathétique": II. Adagio Cantabile. That was what he was hearing on the tape. What he did not expect was for a voice to appear on top of the piano playing.

_Hello Noctis,_

_By the time you hear this, I'll be long gone. I'm leaving this message as my good-bye gift. I want to say that it was a pleasure meeting you, to get to know you and…well you know. _

A soft giggle was heard on the recording.

_Anyway, the truth is Noctis, I was sent by the enemy forces to gather information about Tenebrae. I'm a spy, trained and raised by the enemy. _

_Everything about my life was falsified. I lied about everything. I managed to fool everyone, so much so that I learned the location of the kingdom's crystal. With the information I have Algentia will have the power and influence to end this war and finally defeat your kingdom._

The prince was completely shocked. Lightning…how could she?

_My mission dictated that I cover all of my tracks and dispose of all those I came in contact with. Including you…_

_But…I never intended to get attached to you Noctis. I…I'm sorry I lied. Love and war does many strange things to a girl, even a professional like me. You know that yourself._

_Noctis…I love you, and I would never want any harm to come to you. It's that reason that you're alive. I know I'll be punished, but I would rather be dead myself than to see you suffer that fate._

_You're too good for me._

There was a pause as a slight sob was heard on the recording.

_I'm so sorry Noctis. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I'll never forget you. I've never been so attached to someone before and…well…I'll love you forever._

_So, never forget me, okay. Think of me as a friend, and keep living as if it were your last day on this planet._

_Good bye. Noctis._

Lightning's voice disappeared as the song continued to play for half a minute. Then it faded into silence as the grainy sound of film rolled over the tape. When the tape reached it end, the recorder short circuited and overheated itself, making any chance of replaying the message impossible.

Noctis remained silent as tears rolled down his face. He had been betrayed, and his feelings had gotten in the way of protecting his kingdom. He squeezed his fists together, letting even more tears fall from his eyes. He continued to look down at the ground as the skittering of hurried footsteps broke the silence.

"Noctis!"

It was Quinn. He looked completely disheveled, without his tie, his half buttoned shirt, and loose belt. What terrified Noctis when he made eye contact with Quinn was the sight of scarlet blood that stained his friend's white shirt.

"Thank heavens your safe!"

Standing up, Noctis looked horrified at the scene. "What happened Quinn?"

"It's horrible, all of the guards. They're all dead!"

"When!?"

"Last night, around three o'clock, someone cut the power. Thirty minutes later…all this." Quinn had a look of absolute terror on his face.

"Oh my…THE CRYSTAL!" Noctis screamed as he ran past Quinn toward the treasury room. Quinn tried his best to keep up with the prince, but fell behind.

Noctis ran as fast as he could toward the safe. He cursed himself for trusting Lighting; for moving the crystal; for not being more careful. The trail of destruction, askew paintings, turned over furniture, pools of blood made a pathway toward the safe room. Making it to the east wing hallway, Noctis nearly jumped down the full flight of stairs that led to the safe room. The room was filled with gray smoke. Trickles of blood lined the path.

Everything weighted on what was in the safe. He hoped it was there. Noctis prayed it was there. Ignoring the cuts of glass on his feet, he ran into the room, and halted.

He sighed.

It was there.

The glass case surrounding it was completely shattered. Its surroundings were destroyed and a few documents and books were still smoldering, but the crystal was safe.

"Noctis!" Quinn came running into the room.

By the time his friend had arrived, Noctis was enraged.

"Find Lightning! She'll pay for this!"

Screaming that, he collapsed on the floor, overcome with millions of emotions and a broken heart.

* * *

Quinn had, by some miracle, contacted Stella by five o'clock. Though he did not divulge the details to the princess, she explained that Lightning was not at her estate. That left Lightning's apartment. In less than forty minutes, a group of royal officers and police had arrived at the location of Lightning's apartment. They had setup a perimeter and made sure that the building was empty of all civilians.

The plan was to break into the apartment and apprehend Lightning without any injury. They needed her alive.

At 5:53, the incursions team entered the building. Two minutes later, the team was outside of Lightning's door. They checked the door and determined it was locked.

"Kick it in" ordered the commanding officer

At 5:56, the door slammed open.

A second later, the entire building burst into flames.

* * *

The sound of police sirens filled the entire city of Tenebrae. Unfortunately, they were heading into the city, toward the now exploded remains of a burning apartment building. Lightning smiled. Mission Accomplished.

She had managed to finish her business at the palace, and steal a car from the palace. She then left it in an abandoned garage in the city, where she had a few days earlier parked her black motorcycle, which she nicknamed Fernier, and got to the city outskirts by five in the morning. Looking at her watch, she noted that it was now 5:57.

She watched the column of smoke rise into the air, impressed that her homemade incendiary bomb had worked. With incredible results. No physical traces of her remained.

Her mission had been a success. Inside of her black purse were the lists of secret supporters and spies within the government of Algentis who were aiding the kingdom of Tenebrae, the battle plans for the Tenebrae army, personal information about those who protected of the royal family, a list of accusations that the government could use to blackmail the king, and, most importantly, the building plans, security measures and passwords for the crystal shrine.

Lightning had planed to leave out the fact that the crystal had been relocated to the palace the day of her arrival in her report to her commanding officer. She would also do her best to hide the fact that she tried to take the crystal but was…interrupted. In truth, she had done enough damage without taking the crystal. The very thought that an enemy had been so close to the crystal would certainly leave a permanent and long lasting scar on the conscious of the Caelum family.

She had not intended to get so close to Noctis, and she had a feeling that he would not forgive her for what she had done. Honestly, she could not forgive what she had done. When she began the mission, she promised herself to not let her emotions get in the way, no matter how much it hurt her to destroy them.

What was bizarre to her were the events that Noctis had experienced. The only conclusion that she could make was that he had managed to make a connection with her telepathically. It was that fact that she was able to get a few hints about her past and who she was before she became a commander.

Noctis, in a sense, had given her a chance to see the past, to learn who she was. It was that fact alone that she allowed the prince to live. She gave Noctis a chance to live his life, even if it was short.

During her free time, she had 'unintentionally' glanced over the documents she had gathered from the royal family. The government of Algentis, she believed, would be interested to know that both he and Stella were blessed with the powers of Etro, explaining why the other attacks on the prince and crystal had failed. But the powers had the side affect of shortening one's life. Once those two were out of the way, the crystal would be open for attack.

Tenebrae would fall; it was just a matter of time.

The sun began to rise over the city. Lightning took that as her queue to return to Algentis. Putting her black helmet and leather riding gloves on, she turned the ignition of the bike, and directed it onto the road toward her destination.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **I suggest you do what Noctis did and listen to that piece of music and read the letter as you listen. The two match up and it's quite cool.

I think I'll let you guys digest what happened.

Anway, thanks for the record number of reviews: **Yuki, Dawn, LeRouge the Rouge TutuandJo, SunflowerWeilder (soo happy to hear from you again!), gagboy, Fefisgbf13, sillyscenegirl, **and **boredknight**.

Till next time!

All characters are owned by Square Enix.


	19. A Sonata for Those Who Have Passed On

After hours of traveling, Lightning finally arrived at an abandoned church in the middle of the plains of the Calm Lands. It must have been a lovely building in the past, perhaps the center focus of a single town. Years of ignoring and war had destroyed much of the beauty that was held in this sacred place. Yet Lightning's senses were heightened when she smelled the fragrance of flowers coming from inside the structure.

As she slowed her motorcycle down, she heard the sound of a military chopper. It was a welcoming sound; a sign that her mission was finally complete. She steered the motorcycle towards the aircraft.

A person was waiting outside for Lightning. It was a woman with long waist-length hair, almost the same shade as Lightning's. She had a pale completion, like Stella, feminine green eyes, and skinny nearly invisible framed glasses. Her attire was of a high ranking official, with a long leather coat with detailed designs that must have taken hours to do. The coat had silver cuffs that matched her stockings and high collared shirt. On her shoulder were two paladins with neon blue stripes, showing her rank. Upon seeing Lightning, the woman made a small smile acknowledging the other's presence.

As Lightning parked Fernier, two armored soldiers appeared to begin moving the bike into the helicopter. She grabbed her black purse and then walked over to the woman.

"General Lorelei." Lightning then saluted to the woman.

The general then motioned for Lightning to step into the helicopter. She took a seat on one side, making sure that her purse was clutched firmly in her hands. Lorelei then stepped in the craft. Instantly, one of the guards appeared to shut the door. The sound of whirling blades filled the air. Within a few minutes, the helicopter had lifted off, taking Lightning back to Algentia.

"I didn't think that they would send you general to greet me" Lighting stated, trying to make small talk.

"Well, your mission was deemed to be very important and the government thought that it was best if I greeted you." The general's voice was light, but also affirmative, as if her words were like honey drizzling over a piece of chocolate. It was this manner of speech that made Lorelei a convincing general. She was tough but also soft at the same time. "Do you have the documents?"

Lightning then reached into her purse and removed the folders that were stowed in it. She handed these to the general, who began to look through the documents. Her face remained cold as she carefully read through the pages of codes, maps, and files that were stolen from Tenebrae.

"Noctis isn't dead" Lightning bluntly said. She might as well have gotten that out into the open.

"We'll deal with him later" the general replied, her eyes remained focused on the documents she was reading.

After what seemed to Lightning like an eternity, Lorelei spoke. "This is all good, commander Lightning. Very good. But…" she removed her glasses as she paused, "what I and the others at Algentia want is the crystal. Where is it?"

Lightning knew this was coming. "Well, it was within my grasp, I had planned everything out, but…something happened."

"And what was that something?"

"It spooked me. I started to hear strange things…in my head."

"Really. Do tell."

Lightning became a little rattled that the general was so interested in the crystal. She must have thought the girl in front of her was going insane.

"It, well, said something about me being marked."

"Marked?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, a smile appeared on the general's face.

"Perfect."

"Perfect? I failed my mission in not getting the crystal. I got everything else…"

Lorelei interrupted Lightning. "No Lightning. You succeeded in so many ways."

Lightning became uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"

"The whole purpose of your little spy mission was not to gather documents."

"Then…why was I sent in?"

"Lightning, your mission, without knowing it, was to become marked." Lorelei's eyes were filled with joy and sickly pleasure. "Right now, flowing in your body, are the powers of Tenebrae's crystal. Those powers are exactly what Algentis needs right now."

Lightning was pale white. She was terrified. "What makes you think I will give you these powers?"

The general scoffed. "This." On queue two heavily armed solders appeared behind Lightning. They grabbed her, attempting to put her in a chokehold. But Lightning was too quick and she kicked one of the men in the head, knocking him to the floor. The second man held her arms, but she easily broke fro his grip. Lightning was unsure as to where this now strength came from.

She then attempted to punch the general out. Even though it was traitorous, Lightning was too angry to care about the consequences. She managed to knock Lorelei in the face, hard enough to break her flawless nose. The general collapsed to the ground, but was prepared. She had too much experience from the war to let Lightning take her down. By her lay a needle, filled with a yellow liquid that the soldiers had attempted to inject the commander with. She concealed the needle behind her back, and then picked herself up.

Lightning then tried to punch the general once again, but Lorelei ducked, grabbed her attacker's arm and shoved the needle into Lightning's skin, then pushed the fluid into her body.

Immediately, Lightning lost her balance and collapsed to the ground. Her focus became blurry as tears filled her eyes. All she could make out was the figure of General Lorelei as she walked over to the woman on the ground.

"I am pleased to inform you that you will become the key to ending the war…with Algentia as the victor."

After that, Lightning's vision went black.

* * *

When King Caelum learned of the attack on the palace, he cancelled all his previous engagements and returned home. Heads were going to roll for what had happened. Irreparable damage had occurred to his kingdom. And Noctis would be punished for allowing a spy into the palace.

Noctis knew what would happen to him. He lost much of his privileges, but they were all private. The king had decided to keep the truth of the palace being attacked by a spy from Algentis. The explosion and numerous deaths were blamed on a rogue terrorist group to keep the public from panicking.

The evening after the attack Quinn, Rex, Adrian, Stella and Noctis decided to watch the remains of the security tapes from that night in one of the office buildings in the city. They all had to sneak out in order to meet though because security was at red alert.

According to Quinn, cutting the power had disabled most of the cameras, but a few of the battery operated ones were able to capture the events.

"You guys ready for this?" Quinn spoke, as he prepared the projector and his laptop.

Everyone, with a somber expression on their faces, nodded to begin.

"Alright, I'm showing this to your father at a later time Noctis. But I want you guys to see this with your own eyes.

"The whole things started at 3:21 A.M. when the morning guard staff was coming in to replace the evening staff. At that time, someone, most likely Lightning, exited the private chambers of Noctis. A few minuets before that, she knocked the prince unconscious, causing a minor concussion.

"At 3:27, sensors indicated that someone entered the electrical room, and cut the power. She did a good job of that."

A photograph of the electrical wires appeared on the screen. They were sliced completely in two halves.

"How come there's no tape of the main hallways?" Adrian asked.

"Lightning killed the man the security video room and also whipped the video recordings…before bombing that room" Quinn explained.

Adrian looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

"Now, there are certain precautions taken if the power is cut to the palace. I'm sure the same is true for your security princess."

Stella nodded.

"Basically, there is a twenty minute gap between the alarm that the security's power has been cut and the royal guard arrives. That has always solved problems in the past, and even still, someone would have to go through all of the guards at the palace.

"Now that works for a common burglar, and even an armed takeover. But not for a single, well armed, person like her."

The screen then showed a small view of the main hallway.

"The first to go were in the west wing. She then worked her way to the east wing and basement, taking the most expedient root possible…so good that she had crushed much of the guarding forces in twenty minuets flat."

"How is that possible?" Rex exclaimed. "How did she do that?"

"She memorized the castle's building plans." Noctis responded.

Quinn shook his head in agreement. "The architectural and security designs for the palace were stolen during the break in at the government archives. One of the first things we checked after the attack.

"Her original background check revealed that she had an excellent memory, explaining how she was able to memorize that much information in that little amount of time."

A series of videos appeared on the screen, showing Lightning using a gun, fists, and a sword.

"That's a gunblade." Rex said. "It's supposedly a prototype weapon used by the enemy army. It functions as both a sword and gun. The drawback is that it is incredibly heavy and only functions as one type, not both simultaneously. The way Lightning's handling it is remarkable. It's like a second arm."

The group then fell silent as they watched guards fail to fight her off.

"At 3:51, Lightning reached the deposit safe. She stayed there for about three minutes, then left the palace in a hijacked vehicle."

A picture of the sedan she had stolen appeared on the screen.

"We assume that she had a getaway vehicle parked in the abandoned garage we found the car in."

"What about her apartment?" Stella asked.

Quinn fiddled with his glasses. "Incendiary bomb destroyed the building at 5:57 A.M. along with all remaining evidence.

"So that's it. Lightning managed to steal top secret documents, priceless information, and destroy lives, and she is now likely behind enemy lines where she will disappear without a trace."

The last screen was from a security camera. Lightning must have known it was on as she stared directly into the lens, smiled, pointed her gun at it and pulled the trigger.

"That's it?" Stella spoke.

Quinn nodded yes.

After a few moments of silence, Noctis buried his head in his hands and started to softly cry. Stella looked over to the prince with sympathetic eyes. She looked at Quinn, giving him a signal that she wanted to talk to the prince alone. The assistant got the message and motioned for Rex and Adrian to come with him.

"We'll be outside Noct" Quinn said.

They then left, leaving the two members of royalty alone.

Stella then gave the prince a soft but comforting back rub.

"I'm so sorry Noctis" she whispered.

"It's not your fault Stella" Noctis replied. "I was just too trusting of her."

The irony of it all was that Stella was in the room with him, a princess whose family also wanted the crystal. That fact did not escape his mind. "Are you here for the crystal too?"

"No. I only came to see you. My parents think that I'm at an opera right now." She paused, trying to put into words what she was thinking. "Noctis, I just wanted to tell you that…that…I would never do such a thing to harm you."

"Stella, the truth is I don't think I will be able to trust anyone again. It is actions like this that make me revert to my shell. Now that it has been broken, I will have to create a new guise."

"I understand, but don't block me out" she said firmly. "And even if you do, I will still be here."

Noctis refused to say anything.

Stella sighed. She knew that pushing him would get him nowhere. Seeing there was nothing to do, the princess left the room. As she walked out, a few loose tears fell down her face which she wiped away with her right thumb.

What Noctis had ignored is that the princess had lost two friends in 24 hours: Lightning, and Noctis.

Noctis stayed behind, gazing at the wall, still in shock from what had happened. Under his breath he whispered the words that sealed his heart in ice: "I will never love again."

* * *

The only good that had come out of Noctis' time in the palace was that he had plenty of free time on his hands. Though he did use that time to target practice with Adrian and Rex, he still felt lonely. As a result, the only thing to ease his pain was to practice piano.

He remembered that his mother had insisted that he take proper piano lessons. When she passed away, Noctis had stopped practicing in favor of school work. Lightning, for all her wrong actions, had renewed his interest in the instrument.

This day, he decided to play the one song whose melody line he could play almost as well as Lightning had. Taking a deep sigh, he began:

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

He remembered the first time he saw Lightning…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa. _

The look of amazement she expressed when she gazed over the city of Tenebrae…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

The first time she said his name...

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

The meeting in the back alley…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa. _

Her smile…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

Her playing the piano…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa._

Falling into the pool…

_La Do Fa. La Do Fa. _

The feeling of her skin against his…

_So, Re so, Fa. So, Re so, Fa._

Her eyes…

_So, Re so, Fa. So, Re so, Fa._

Lightning falling asleep on his chest…

_So, Re so, Fa. So, Re so, Fa._

Her deep ocean opal eyes…

Memories of the past filled his mind, begging for his attention and focus. Yet he continued to play, recalling the emotions he learned and the love that betrayed him.

He continued to play until the song ended, silent tears descending his face.

_So, Re, Fa, So, Re, Fa, So, Fa, Re, So…So…So_

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **I have to say, this part of the story was a blast to write. Mixing the character of Lightning into the world of Stella and Noctis really made for some interesting ideas. Thanks for everyone who pushed me to write more, develop the story, and who reviewed it: **SunflowerWeilder, Dawn, Yuki, flower on thewind, LeRouge The Rouge, Fefisgbf13, sillyscenegurly, gagboy, zm4u, TutuandJo, boredknight, nickJoffdaCHAIN, Vaniolel, and IWOBYD.**

As a little teaser, the next part of the story will be more action oriented and will also have a time shift between the end of this arc and the beginning of the new arc. The story is going be a little bit darker from what you guys saw before. Also, the questions that remained unanswered her will be answered.

Also, I have written the ending so hints about future events and characters have been scattered in the story, so keep your eyes peeled for them.

One final word: the music used are some of the foundations for current music. They are all wonderful pieces, so listen to them and enjoy them.

Till then, bye guys!

All characters owned by Square Enix


	20. Fugue of Solace

Fugue: A type of song with three or more solo singers; has multiple views, usually a song of sadness.

A full two years had past. To the date even. Today was the day that Prince Noctis first met Lightning. That day, everything changed for everyone. Nothing was the same, nor would it ever return to its prior state.

* * *

Within the Crystal Shrine, in the middle of the ground floor was an octagonal room. In the center of that was a throne, one that was identical to the one belonging to King Giovanni Caelum. Yet the king in this throne was the protector of the crystal: Noctis Caelum.

He was wearing a full black outfit, with short sleeves, heavy boots, gloves and slightly baggy pants. One hand was resting on his face. The other hand was relaxing on the throne's armrest. His eyes were closed, as though he were fast asleep. In reality, he was waiting to strike.

He sensed a change from outside the building. At that moment, he opened his eyes. They were no longer the deep blue eyes of his mother, but a monstrous scarlet red. His body pulsed with the power of the crystal inside of him.

Noctis stepped outside of the shrine. The first thing he noticed was a pile of Tenebraean soldiers. They were lying in heaps on the staircase leading to the entrance. Finally outside, he began to bask in the clear, full moon's light. It was then that Noctis saw what had caused the attack: some one hundred Algentian soldiers.

_Hm, so you've come to die too._

All of the soldiers took notice of Noctis' arrival and turned to face the prince.

The prince put a foot on one of the stairs. Instantly, the whole army pointed their guns at him and fired. Noctis ignored the bullets and continued to walk forward. The powers of Etro were protecting him.

Bullets continued to fly in the prince's direction, but they were a blocked by a glass like shield.

When the prince had reached an appropriate step, he raised his right arm, summoning a spinning field of opaque weapons and dancing blue streams of light. These instruments floated around him, like a whirlwind cocoon, comforting him. When he saw 'his' sword, the Septis, he pulled it from the group of other weapons.

Pulling it towards himself, his red eyes began to glow a sickening neon color.

_There's no escape for you._

In a minute, it was all over.

All one hundred men lay dead on the ground. And Noctis was the only one left standing at the end.

The prince was unfazed by the events, and returned to his throne in the shrine.

* * *

At that same moment, Stella was at the annual Lockheart ball. Other years she had been the star of the ball. But this year, she was somber. The war had and its events had finally caught up with Stella. She felt tired and worn out. The curse was beginning to take its toll on Stella. The greater the battles in the war became, the weaker she became and the closer she came to her death.

Time was against her. It seemed everything was against her.

The princess then shifted her gaze from the magnificent skyline to her left hand. She raised it closer to her face to examine it better, specifically her ring finger. On it was a dazzling white diamond on a platinum band. An engagement ring that tied her to a title she would never inherit. Crown Queen of Tenebrae. It would never happen. She would always remain a princess. She would die a princess.

_Poor Noctis_, she thought to herself.

The only reason that ring was on her finger was because of his father. A marriage for political gains.

There was nothing wrong with Noctis. But he was not the same man that she knew two years ago. That was when he met her. The second woman in his life.

Lightning had stolen his heart. He had opened up to her in a way Stella could never do. And just when he exposed everything to her, Lighting turned on him and destroyed the prince.

He retreated into his self-made shell, never showing any emotions or feelings to anyone anymore. Even Rex and Adrian were exiled from his personal life.

Noctis' heart had become as hard as the diamond on Stella's finger.

And it hurt her just as much.

Too tired and worn out to care who saw, silent crystal tears slipped down her face. Her pink lips quivered as she started to cry.

* * *

Trion stood before his people on one of the high palace's balconies.

Before him was a sea of black and red figures and behind him stood the great generals and administrators of the Algentian Empire.

"My people" he began, speaking into a microphone, "Our great king Philip has passed away!"

The reply from his people was silent.

"He was a wonderful leader, a magnificent king, and a loving father.

"He has left the Empire in my hands. And I promise…to uphold my father's wish, to continue and protect this great empire!"

A deafening applause was the reply this time. In the cheers was a mix of 'All hail king Trion' and 'Long live Algentia'.

Trion stayed on the balcony for a few moments, waving to his people, a smile on his face. He then retired to the inside of the palace.

Behind one of the great marble pillars that made up the hall was a very familiar figure in a high general coat and light pink lips.

The new king smiled and approached Lorelei. When he finally embraced her, Trion placed a kiss on the general's lips.

"Congratulations on becoming king" she said.

"All thanks to you dear" Trion replied.

The two then walked arm in arm together down the hallway.

"How are the battle plans in the west" the prince asked.

Lorelei smiled. "My men and I plan to wipe out these annoying resistance groups one by one. We're starting with the Returners home base in Narshe."

"What about NORA?"

"We don't know where they are, but we'll destroy them eventually. Our plan is to destroy all of their contacts and lure them out."

"Wonderful."

The two smiled. Trion thought he had figured everything out. He was the king and nothing would stop him. But little did he know of the plans that Lorelei had in store for him.

* * *

There was a dirty secret in the capital city of Algentia.

Within the city was a building. It was known as the Science Citadel. There, all of the great advancements in weaponry and technology were researched and discovered.

The center had two different leading scientists. The first was the great Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, known simply as Dr. Cid. His specialty was in experimental weaponry and new devices that helped shaped the battlefield through the powers of manufactured natural power. The second scientist was a less likable and more feared professor named Dr. Hojo. Hojo specialized in human enhancement and performance.

It was these two separate fields that made the two men perfect for a single, highly important project in the government: a human with the powers of the crystal. Only three people were known to have this power.

Tenebrae had two. Algentia held the third.

The subject had many names. The official title was _Gloria Genesis, Code Alpha #00000001 EVA_. Others called it 'the key to Armageddon'. To others, it was 'sleeping beauty'.

But the subject's real name was Lightning.

Two years earlier, General Lorelei had knocked the woman unconscious on the trip back to Algentia. When the helicopter landed, Lightning's body was injected with a poison that made the woman comatose. Since then, she had been placed a state of suspended slumber, spending most time an oversized test-tube filled with a chemical mixture that protected her body.

She was technically asleep, but she could be woken up at anytime. Those times out of the tube were filled with pain as Hojo and Cid worked to test and extract the built up power of the crystal that was housed in Lightning's body.

It was due to Lightning that the greatest discoveries of Dr. Cid and Hojo were realized. The two used the power they had harvested from Lightning to make synthetic crystals of equal power to that of the real crystal. They learned how to inject men with these manufactured powers. As a result, an entire Algentian army of synthetic crystal bearing soldiers was being created. All from a single woman.

The experiments had taken their toll on Lightning. Her eyes, when they were opened, were sickly mustard yellow in color, a terrible consequence of amount of time she spent using the crystal's power.

The only thoughts that filled her mind were pleas of forgiveness.

_I'm sorry Noctis. I'm so sorry…._

She was only Lightning in the flesh. Inside of her frail body was a beast; one that hungered for revenge and freedom. One who wanted to be free, but was racked with guilt and fear.

* * *

War changes lives. It forces change in for not only the people, but the locations. Places that were originally filled with life and beauty become barren carcasses of their former life. They could be rebuilt and repopulated, but nothing could hide the scars of the wars that the town had suffered.

Narshe was one of these towns. Originally a mining town that bustled with life and homes and been burned to the ground and replaced with charred remains and burned bodies. It was the protocol of the Algentian army to destroy everything, so that there was no way for that area to rebuild.

The town was not silent. A cold, howling wind was the only sound that could be heard in the dead town. Out of that natural sound came the crunching footsteps of life.

The first to reach the town's square was a tall man. Standing well over six feet, he carried a demanding aura. His enormous figure was clothed with tattered clothes, a long blue sash around his waist, a tanned trench coat, leather gloves, and combat boots. His messy, overgrown blond hair held back by a dark ebony bandana.

Commanding blue eyes scanned the destruction with care and concern. It was just like Algentia to destroy everything. Narshe had suffered a fate that was too common in this time.

"Hello" he screamed.

The wind howled as a reply.

"Is anyone alive out there?"

Nothing.

He sighed. There was no point in staying, no point in hoping.

No one was there. Narshe was now simply a ghost town, devoid of live and stripped of a future. Just live Cornelia, Gongaga, St. Ivalice, and so many other cities.

The man turned to exit out of the city the same route he entered. Looking up after a few minutes, he saw two figures. They were the only two living things in the area.

One was a young woman, who still wore her youth on her face, wearing a pink peach three quarters shirt that ended right above her belly button. On top of that was a brown fur poncho that covered her upper body and hid her dozens of multicolored beaded necklaces. Blue indigo jean skirt covered most of her thighs. She wore light yellow boots on her feet that went were cut just above her knees. Her eyes were joyful green with a head of bright red hair that was tied in a pair of pigtails.

Beside her was a teenage boy. He had shocking blond hair that looked white in the right light. He wore a more restricted outfit then the woman: white trim cut pants, a black coat long-sleeved coat that was detailed with gold buckles, trim, and shoulder covers, a scarlet red cape that was wrapped around his neck and held in place with a thick gold cuff and brown boots. His blue mixed eyes showed years of training and study that the woman lacked.

He was the first to greet the approaching comrade. "Anything Snow?"

The tall man shook his head. "Nothing. Just like the last town Larsus."

"Oh Snow. I'm so sorry."

Those were sympathetic words from the young woman.

"It's not your fault Vanille. We'll just…move on."

At that, the three walked away, leaving Narshe to mourn its fate in silence.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Phew that's a lot of stories, but now we know what has been happening with all the characters and introduced a few new ones.

To give you an idea of what a fugue sounds like, listen to Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D minor'. If any of you have seen the original _Fantasia_ it should sound familiar.

First, Noctis' fight sequence is indeed the one from the first trailer of Versus XIII, which is a pretty cool fight to begin with.

Second, Vanille's outfit didn't quite fit with the world of Versus, so I modernized it a bit. And Larsus is the protagonist from Atigo, which means that I have succeeded in including all three FFXIII game characters in one story.

Finaly, thanks for all the reviews, all 100 of them! Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter as well: **SunflowerWeilder, flower on thewind, gagboy, Le Rogue The Rogue and Dawn**. Thanks guys.

All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix.


	21. Adigato Rush and Pause

The schedule surrounding Lightning was a relatively complicated one: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were the days Dr Cid and Hojo performed tests on Lightning, harvesting synthetic crystals from the girl; Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, the girl rested; and once a month, on a Tuesday, Lightning was moved to a military complex so that the Algentian generals and government officials could see the progress that was being made by the doctors.

Today was the day that Cid and Hojo would report their monthly findings to the government officials.

The two scientists had gathered together along with a few apprentices. When everything was ready, Cid pressed a button on the side of the tube. The fluid in the tube slowly began to drain out. Gradually, Lightning's lifeless body fell down as the water level in her chamber descended. Her pink hair had grown about two feet, falling down her back. Her body was semi nude, to allow the fluid in the tube to touch all of her body. The result was skin that was flawless, except for a group of striped lines on her upper chest that she had received from the crystal two years earlier.

Two assistants then moved forward to Lightning's body, removing the sensors and tubes that covered parts of her body. They then picked the woman up, and gently placed her on an iron examining table. Moving quickly, the assistants prepared the body so that Lightning was prepared for the examination.

"That is good." Cid told the assistants. "Dismissed."

They nodded and stepped into the background, leaving Cid and Hojo to their work. The two doctors walked over to the body, ready to perform tests.

"Such a beautiful thing." Dr. Cid smiled as he moved his gloved hand on Lightning's face.

"Indeed" replied Hojo in his high twisted voice. "It has been quite a pleasure to see all of the lives that have been ruined thanks to this woman."

Cid smiled. She was indeed a prized asset. He always marveled at the amount of research and data he ad Hojo had gathered from her. But Lightning, from the first day he met her, always had an exotic beauty about her. And the greatest irony of it all was she had no idea of the destruction her power was causing, of the millions of men who were dying because of her cursed gift. It was simply marvelous.

"O_ my sleeping beauty, when will your true love come? Your knight in shining armor, atop a proud steed, when shall he break your eternal curse?_"

Hojo moved his dark eyes up to Cid's.

"Sorry Hojo. She reminds me of a princess."

"Of course."

They were silent for a few minutes as the two scientists prepared to inject the woman with a few medical fluids. Once that was done, Hojo places a small black on the subject's upper right arm. In it was a small electronic device that helped to control Lightning's actions. If she disobeyed, a charge would shock her until she refocused and obeyed her masters. It was necessary for her because Lightning had such a temper and wanton to disobey the scientists.

Cid then moved to her right hand index finger. On it was a small metal switch. From what the men had gathered, every person who was blessed by the crystal had a unique power. For Lightning, this special power was a gravity manipulating ability. To help with their study, that power had been extracted from her body in the form of tiny rose crystal and was then implanted in Lightning's finger.

This enhancement also gave an already agile and quick Lightning even more speed and power. With a gunblade, she was unstoppable.

From their data on the crystal power in Lightning's body, the scientists were able to make synthetic suits that gave normal soldiers the same power's that Lightning had.

After thirty minutes of work, Cid's cell phone began to ring.

"Excuse me Hojo. It's our wonderful general friend."

Cid left the room, removing his latex gloves as he exited the laboratory.

Seeing that everything was secure, Hojo also decided to take a break from examining his subject and look over some notes. He saw that Lightning was not moving and that all of her vial signs were normal.

Before turning to look away, he coldly spoke to the woman, "Don't move anywhere darling."

A few seconds later, Lightning carefully opened one eye. It was partially blue with streaks of bright yellow, but it was still as sharp and suspicious as ever. This was her chance to escape. She was still heavily sedated, and could barely move, but she would not give up.

Her escape would have to be made as she went along, and she could very well die, but she would rather be dead now. The powers of the crystal were eating way at her body, and she was wracked with guilt and sadness for betraying Noctis. She might as well die trying to escape, than rot away in captivity like a lab rat.

After looking around, she saw a small metal tool table, with some metal instruments. Feeling around with her hand, she located a small razor, and clutched it firmly in her hand, making sure it was well hidden.

She took a deep breath, and then pulled a plug that was connected to a heart monitor. It flatlined, and Lightning pretended to be passed out.

Within a few seconds, Hojo and Cid had run frantically back into the room.

"What the heck happened?" screamed at his partner.

"I don't know! Everything was normal when I left!"

The two then began to fiddle with a few instruments. Cid grabbed a needle of epinephrine, planning to inject it into Lightning's heart. Just before the needle touched her skin, Lightning's eyes snapped open. The normal mustard yellow was replaced with a focused aqua blue. Ignoring the pain in her limbs, she grabbed the needle and turned it around to face Cod.

"YOU BASTARD!" she growled, shoving the needle into the doctor's chest. He screamed, which caught Hojo's attention. At that point, Lightning revealed the concealed knife and pushed the edge into Cid's chest. She then sat up and pushed the dead weight of Cid onto Hojo. The two collided and fell back into a cabinet.

After a few moments of watching the men carefully, Lightning crashed back to the metal surface of the table. She was breathing heavily and winced with pain.

_Alright, make a plan before they get up._

* * *

Larsus, Vanille and Snow had made their way from Narshe deep into the woods of Macalania. Their journey took about four days on mounted chocobo at full speed.

It was one of the last places on Gaia that remained untouched by the war. The forest was around three thousand years old and overgrown with great Macalanian Trees. These trees filled the entire area with deep blue and purple braches that were entwined with each other, creating a root like structure above the trees. Some had even grown with sloping paths in them, creating a natural maze that few could follow.

Hidden within the forest lived allsorts of monsters and wildlife. Moogles were a common sight on the braches on the paths. A few wild chocobo herds were found in the woods. It was even rumored that mythical creatures lived in the area, but few who went in search of those beasts made it out of the woods alive.

The three guided the chocobos through the forest maze, carefully taking the right pathway and following the present trail of pink ribbons tied sporadically around specific trees. After thirty minutes, they finally reached the center of the forest: the Macalanian Spring. There, about two-hundred people had gathered around the edge of the pool. They came from all walks of life: fighters, men, orphans, widows, children and elders. They had gathered from allover Gaia for one purpose: fight against the Algentian powers.

All of them were part of Team NORA.

The group was formed by Snow. His family and home of Cornelia were destroyed by the Algentian government when he was thirteen. He lost everyone and everything. Escaping the consuming fire, he wandered in the nearby mountains and hid for a full week. He nearly died there, were it not for the kindness of an old couple who found the boy and nursed him back to health.

After living with the family for a few years, he roamed the areas of Northern Gaia, gathering and collecting people who were willing to fight for a cause. Sometime later, he was reunited with Sazh, his appointed guardian and a former Tenebrean commander. After two years of planning, the twenty-three year old became the team's leader and began to aid outlying villages on the war areas of Gaia against the war. A year later, the group had decided to relocate to their current location when the teenager Orbia Dia Vanille joined and showed them the secrets of the forest. Everyday, more and more people joined NORA, hoping that their involvement in the team would help end the war.

What Snow, Larsus, and Vanille had returned from was an exploration of the recently destroyed town. They hoped that they could find survivors and bring them to the forest for treatment.

But there were none…

As the three neared the group of people, they were greeted by Gadot and Lebreau, who were the temporary leaders while Snow was out. Gadot hailed from the warmer, southern area of Gaia, near the ocean. Lebreau was a runaway from Ivalice. Both had met up with Snow shortly after his home was destroyed and had helped him form NORA.

"Anything boss" said Gadot.

"Nothing" replied Snow, as he dismounted the chocobo.

"Just burnt rubble and ashes" added Larsus. "I plan to let Team Oriens know about the destruction." He then walked toward one of the tents.

Vanille then got off her chocobo and walked over to the group that had gathered.

"So what do we do now?" she asked.

"We'll see where they attack next and we'll let the Returners know that Narshe has been destroyed." That was Snow, always a step ahead. "Can you guys take care of that, I need to rest."

"Sure Snow," replied Lebreau.

The tall blond then yawned and left the group to retire to his tent. Not even bothering to change clothes or worry about how he smelled, he collapsed on his makeshift bed. Instantly, he fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry about the late update and being silent on the web. Blame the internet on my computer. Oh well.

When I wrote this, I recalled a whole string of epic pairings on the FFXIII forum, one of which was Hojo and Lightning. Maybe if you squint hard enough, you could ship Dr. Cid & Lightning. Still, that is a pretty disturbing pairing.

But I love Dr. Cid, best Cid ever!

Anyway, I feel bad about being late with the updates, so here is a new chapter.

Thanks for the reviews and comments guys: **Dawn, SunflowerWeilder, gagboy, sillyscenegirl, LeRouge the Rogue, animaegame02freak, Yuki****, and Fefisgbf13. I** really appreciate the kind words.  
Secret


	22. Freedom's Cadenza

Glancing around the room, Lightning tried to find something, anything that would help her in her escape. All she saw though were tubes of liquid, needles and drugs.

She would have to think fast before some unsuspecting soldier walked into the room and discovered what had happened to Cid and Hojo. It was then that she spotted two jewels on a lab table. One was a deep aqua and heart shaped; the other was a rosy pink colored rose flower. Each was small enough to fit into the palm of her hand.

Lightning knew these stones well. Their essence was of pure crystal from her blood. They were from her own body, her blood, her pain. And though she had no idea what to do, she had to get them out of the hands of Algentia…or Tenebrae for that matter.

As she picked up the crystals, one of the doors into the lab opened. Lightning ran behind one of the cabinets that was on the side of the room.

A lone guard stepped into the room.

"He…Hello? Sirs?"

Lightning saw a chance to escape.

Peaking from behind the cabinet, she saw that the guard turned his back to her. She then darted across the room.

Heart pounding, Lightning looked again. She realized that the guard was still looking the other way. Lightning placed the two crystals on the ground and then ran across the room, so that she was right behind the man.

Breathing deeply, she grabbed the guard from behind him and clutched his neck.

The man tried to fight back, struggling as Lightning firmly gripped his neck. About ten seconds of grunts and pain, a sickening crack echoed in the room. The guard fell limp and Lightning dropped the man to the ground.

Five minutes later, the door to the lab opened and out stepped Lightning in a fully armored suit, made of yellow, black, and white leather plates, wearing a matching black and white helmet, and carrying a gun. Thankfully, the helmet hid her face, which was in an expression of concern and fear.

For the first time in two years, she was walking where she wanted to go. It was so freeing, and terrifying at the same time.

Where would she go? What would she do when she got there? Who would care what happened to her? Would he come to her help? Would he even care about her anymore?

Unsure of where to go, Lightning followed a group of two other guards down a few hallways, who seemed to be talking about something that she cared nothing about. The men walked to an elevator, and Lightning followed. They then pressed a button marked **B6**.

Lightning just stood still and tried to stay as still as possible. All she had to do was find out where she was, get out of there, and then…she would deal with that when she got out of there.

_Just go one step at a time._

Her thoughts, and likely those of the men in the elevator with her were interrupted by a buzzing sound from an intercom system in her helmet.

**Alert! Alert! This a Code Alpha. Repeat. Code Alpha.**

Lightning's breath became heavier. Her heart beat increased.

**An officer has been found down. An officer has been found down. Test subject…**

Her eyes went wide. _How did they find out so quickly?_

Just then, she had forgotten that all the suits of officers in the Algentian army have a computer chip inside each uniform that tracked a person's location, vital signs, and such. If they were just announcing that a person was down, then the technicians already knew where she was.

_They are not going to make this easy, _she thought to herself.

Before the announcement was done, Lightning turned her gun to the two men in the elevator and killed them. She then shot out the elevator control panel. The elevator halted. Knowing there was no point in hiding her face, she ripped off the helmet and the gloves on her hands.

Lightning then grabbed the doors to the elevator and pulled them apart. When there was enough of a gap, she squirmed her way out and ran down the hall, which was walled with large windows.

Luckily, no one was in the hall as she sprinted away. Lightning had no idea where she was, but she knew that she needed to get out. Her eyes were fixated on the metal doors at the end of the hallway. Suddenly, they opened, revealing a dozen armed soldiers.

Grunting, she managed to stop herself. Mouth opened and eyes wide with fear, Lightning turned around to where she entered the area, which was also filled with guards.

"Freeze" one of them yelled.

Lightning dropped the gun she had, pretending to obey the order. Anyone else would have surrendered, but Lightning has already tasted freedom and she was not going to give up now.

Lightning knew that the only option besides death was the window. She started walking toward one of the windows.

"I said freeze!"

With a burst of speed, Lightning ran towards one of the story tall windows and fell head first outside. Shards of glittering glass hit her armor, cutting her face and hands.

Lightning had no idea how high she was, but it was about ten stories from where she had jumped to the ground. The wind blew into her face as she fell. A few seconds after leaving the building, Lightning snapped her right thumb and index fingers together, hoping that what Cid and Hojo had done was still working.

Instantly, an opaque blue wave like barrier covered her whole body. Her hair began to float in ways that defied the wind's movement.

She then hit the ground feet first, and the blue barrier vanished. The impact was hard, as she crumpled in the concrete street. Lightning lay on the ground for a few seconds, trying to catch her breath. There was no time to rest though.

She winced as she stood up, feeling a few bruises on her body. Adrenilene then took over and Lightning ran as fast as she could away from the building. She didn't care where she went; it was better than where she had been all those years.

After a few minutes of running in the street, she heard the sound of armored footsteps.

_Please, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm not a tool._

Lightning remembered what had happened to her when she became the subject of Hojo and Cid. She hated everything they had done to her. How they had played with her, toyed with the unwanted powers within her, and used her for their own pleasure.

She was so stupid. She should have stayed with Noctis. Put to her, being patriotic and serving her kingdom trumped her feelings for the prince.

Well, she had been wrong.

Along with the footsteps came the sound of flying bullets. A few ricocheted off the ground and missed Lightning. She refused to look back to see just how many men there were.

After a few dozen missed shots, a single bullet pierced her left thigh. She screamed as the bullet hit her. Lightning slowed down in her running.

A few more shots were fired, each hitting her in the shoulder, left arm, and right calf.

It was too much pain for her body and she fell to the ground, screaming the entire time. Tears mixed with the sweat that dripped on her face. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

The footsteps of the armed men slowed to a walking pace. Finally looking back, Lightning saw a group of about forty men moving towards her.

Still desperate to escape, Lightning stood up, trying to stop the blood that was flowing out of wound on her arm. Breathing heavily, Lightning looked with disgust and anger at the men walking toward her.

When they were about ten feet from her, the group stopped and aimed their weapons at Lightning.

The only sound now was a cool, emotionless breeze.

_If it ends here…_

The soldiers turned off the safety of the guns and prepared to fire.

_…so be it then._

The bullets were fired at Lightning.

She screamed and put her hands forward, as if to push the bullets away.

Suddenly, a blue light surrounded her, blinding everyone in the area.

A moment later, she was gone.

As the soldier's eyes readjusted from the blinding blast, they soon realized that the target was not there.

"Where the heck did she go?" screamed the commander. "Go! Find her!"

The group of men scattered, and began to search for her. The commander stayed in his position. "Lorelei is going to be thrilled when she hears this" he muttered disapprovingly.

* * *

Lightning's whole body felt strange, as if she were floating through an endless pool of water. It was peaceful though.

When she opened her eyes again, she was somewhere far away from Algentia. The surrounding was a stone building that was falling apart. The air smelled of fresh flowers. Had she been here before? It seemed very familiar.

She took a step forward, but found herself wobbling as she walked

Breathing heavily, her body felt tired and weak. Not sure what else to do, she collapsed to the ground. The bedding of wild flowers softened her fall, covering her vision in a sea of green leaves, and yellow and white petals.

Too tired to care what happened, Lightning slowly closed her eyes, unsure if she would ever open them again.

But at least, she was free.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry to those who wanted Noctis to show up. He's been hiding in his emo corner and has refused any offer I've made with him to get out. Don't worry though; I will get him out of that corner for the next part.

And sorry for the late update. My life just got a little complicated and I needed a break. But now I am back and the story will continue.

Thanks for all the reviews from **Sunflowerweilder, gagboy, Yuki, LeRouge the Rouge, Dawn, flower on thewind, **and **sillyscenegurl**. Thanks for being so patient.


	23. A Princess' Aria

The doors to the centered room of the Crystal Shrine opened. Noctis remained sitting in his throne, as he had been for the past few hours. He rarely saw visitors, besides Quinn or Adrian and Rex, but they were becoming fewer in appearances.

Noctis looked up to see the figure of Princess Stella enter the room. She never came to shrine, perhaps out of respect for her fiancé's occupation and order to protect the crystal.

"Hi Stella" he said, standing up from his throne.

"Noctis" the princess replied sweetly.

She continued to walk until she was a few feet away from where Noctis stood. "I…I was wondering if I you would like to come with me to the Calm Lands?"

"Sorry, I can't." The prince avoided eye contact with the princess.

Stella wanted to question why he had become so distant these past two years and how he was pushing everyone away who cared about him, but she didn't. She had learned the hard way when to keep her mouth shut.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

All Noctis was doing was sealing himself in a cocoon. This was not how she wanted him to spend his remaining time in this life. Stella would love for him to be happy, but it seemed that Noctis would never break that barrier of his.

"Alright Noctis."

Stella then walked over to Noctis and kissed him on the check.

"See you tonight."

Noctis then returned the kiss with one on Stella's check.

The princess then left Noctis to guard the crystal.

* * *

Eighty miles outside of Tenebrae, there was nothing but flat plains and fields. A single, two lane road was the only connection between this place and the capital city of the Caelum empire. Though it was silent every day of the year, a single sedan was driving along the road, carrying four passengers.

"I can't wait to see the Calm Lands again" spoke Adrian, looking over at Rex.

"Seriously Adrian" replied Rex, "you need a girlfriend."

"Why?"

"Because there is more too life than hanging in an apartment, sleeping, and hunting" answered Quinn, whose eyes were focused on the road.

Adrian scoffed at that comment. "Yeah, you're one to talk. I've never seen you with a girl, Quinn."

"What about Noct" said Stella. "He's engaged."

"Yeah, but you're marriage was arranged by the king."

"What are you implying?"

"That's enough Adrian" Quinn spoke. He had a feeling of where the conversation was going and decided that it was not appropriate.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Stella enjoyed it though. Those three were all characters.

"Oh, could you turn in here" Stella spoke after ten minutes, pointing to a dirt road.

Quinn obeyed and turned the vehicle onto the road.

"Hey Stella, how do you know about this place" Adrian asked.

"Before the garden to my home was planted, my mother used to take me here. I always enjoyed the area and figured you guys should see it" the princess explained.

Another ten minutes passed before the car stopped and the princess and boys exited the car. Stella took a deep breath, allowing the fresh air to fill her lungs. The scent of fresh spring flowers perfumed the air.

Rex whistled as he looked over the flat lands. Adrian gazed out with a smile. And for once, Quinn looked relaxed.

"If it's alright, I'm going to walk around" Stella said.

"Oh course princess. Call us if anything happens" replied Quinn.

The princess then walked away from the car, into the sea of tall green grass and splashed flowers. She spent some time looking around until she found an isolated place. Once she picked her spot, she fell to the ground and smiled.

Stella relaxed in a field of flowers, watching the clouds in the azure sky.

Little things like this were what brought her the most joy the past few years. Noctis was too busy protecting the crystal. There had been more and more attacks against the crystal by Algentian forces. It had become so dangerous that there were constant battles in the once peaceful streets of Tenebrae.

Taking a breath, she closed her eyes and relaxed.

Being engaged to Noctis was tougher than she though. The prince she had admired and cared about for years had vanished. At this point, she was staying engaged because she truly did care about him and because she understood what was happening to him.

They were, essentially connected by the crystal.

From what she had read, the crystal became a person's life line. It sucked away a mortal's life and power and replaced those things with its own power. The more energy the crystal took from a person, the more powerful he or she became. But this lasted as long as the mortal's power was still present. When there was no mortal power left, the crystal's power receded, taking the servant's life in the process. It was like an hourglass. Stella could watch her life disappear before her eyes.

_What am I going to do…_

Just then, the princess felt a pulse of energy.

She immediately raised her head, eyes alert and aware.

It was one of her abilities as a servant of Etros. Whenever there was a great amount of energy or people around, she could sense it. What was odd about the energy she felt just now was that it seemed like energy from the crystal.

Stella placed her fingers on the ground, trying to sense the direction where the pulse had originated from.

_East of here…_

The princess then got up and went in that direction.

Now and then, she would stop to sense the pulsing wave again.

Twenty minutes later, she saw a dilapidated, towering structure rise above the flat Calm Lands. The princess recognized the building: the Guardian's Church. It had seen better days, but nonetheless remained standing like an eternal monument to the men and woman of past wars.

As she neared the church, the pulsing energy became stronger and more frequent. Carefully opening the rotten oak doors, she looked around. All she saw were rows of destroyed pews, crumbling stone walls, and a field of plain white and yellow flowers. Out of curiosity, the princess walked toward the bed of flowers. Scanning the area, she noticed a little indent of light pink that was moving up and down out of the sea of white and yellow.

She gasped and ran to see what the thing was.

In the middle of the flowerbed was a figure, sprawled in the area, covered in wounds, clothed in a soaked and torn body suit, and familiar strawberry blond hair.

"Lightning?" she said aloud. She then looked over the figure, not wanting to believe that it was her.

The woman made no response. Kneeling down, she turned Lightning's body over, revealing a very familiar face. Looking over her, Stella noticed the bullet holes and cuts all over Lightning's body. Something had happened to her, but Stella was unsure of what.

The princess reached into the pocket of her tanned jacket, pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number.

She immediately got an answer.

"Quinn, it's Stella…I'm fine but, I found her…it's Lightning…I found her."

* * *

Lightning had remained asleep the entire time Stella waited for the boys to show up. The princess had no idea how to perform first aid, so she found herself simply stroking Lightning's long strands of hair.

She couldn't believe it was her.

A million emotions ran through her. Stella was certainly happy to see Lightning alive, but she knew that the woman had betrayed her trust and Noctis…

The princess wanted to leave her in this place to die, but she could not do that, not to someone she had known. Stella always had a suspicion that her kindness would kill her.

Another wave of energy passed through her. Looking down, Stella realized that the power was emanating from within the suit Lightning was wearing. She turned Lightning's body over and found a zipper on the back of the suit. The suit opened, Stella pulled off the heavy body armor. Underneath it was a skin tight white suit that showed Lightning's pale skin.

Stella's eyes softened as she saw needle marks and cuts across Lightning's skin. She then found a small hidden pocket inside the armor. The energy pulses were coming from that pocket. But when Stella went to remove the object, her hand felt a shock of electricity flow through her body.

She screamed at the slight pain she felt and pulled her hand away from the pocket. The only time she had ever felt something like that was when she had become a servant of crystal.

Her companions must have heard the scream because the church doors burst open and they ran in.

"Stella" Rex yelled, sprinting towards her.

"Are you alright?" yelled Adrian.

"I, I'm fine but…" Stella began.

"Oh my gosh" spoke Rex in disbelief as he saw the figure on the ground the Stella was cradling.

Adrian's jaw opened and Quinn whipped his glasses, unsure of what he was seeing.

"That can't be her" said Quinn.

"It is though" replied Stella.

The assistant knelled to the ground, looking over the sleeping body.

"I don't want to believe that it is Lightning, but whoever she is, she needs medical assistance."

"It's her Quinn" said Stella.

He sighed. "It could be her, but assume that it isn't, at least until we get her some help. It may not be her."

"Alright" relented the princess. "But let's take her to my apartment. And say nothing to Noctis."

"Why" Adrian asked.

"Because the prince might hurt her." Stella shivered. She hated to think that Noctis would do such a thing, but Lightning had destroyed him.

Adrian nodded to show his understanding of the situation. Quinn then said, "Rex, can you help me carry her to the car?"

"Sure" replied Rex.

Adrian also joined in and helped lift the body off the floor and carried her to the car that had been parked outside the church. Meanwhile, Stella dialed her personal doctor's number.

* * *

Another long night of guarding the crystal had started for Noctis. It was becoming pointless to sleep at his apartment, simply because the task of guarding the gem was becoming a full time duty. He wanted to be with Stella, but it was not possible now, not since there had been messages from the Algentian government that a new technological advancement was going to make Tenebrae pay for the kingdom's actions.

The silence of the room was interrupted by a small ring from his cell phone.

"Hello" he said, answering the call.

"Hey Noct" came a reply. He knew instantly who it was.

"Hi Stella. How are you?"

The princess sighed. "I'm alright. Been a busy night."

"Yeah. It has been busy here too."

"So I guess you won't be home for diner tonight?"

"Yes." Noctis paused for a moment. "Look, Stella, I'm trying to make this work but…"

"I know you are, and I really appreciate you trying to make it so."

Noctis blushed slightly. "Thanks."

"Well, I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah."

Stella then ended with an "I love you Noct." The prince smiled, and held the phone away from his ear. Just then, he noticed that Stella had picked up another call. He heard her voice over the speaker.

"He just got off Quinn."

The assistant began to talk. "Did you tell him about her?"

_Wait, who is that? _Noctis wondered.

"Not a word. I want him to see her when she's awake."

"Has she been asleep this whole time?"

"Yeah."

"And are you positive that it is her?"

"No doubt. Hair color is the same, the eyes are a slightly different color, but it's her. Quinn, it's Lightning.

_Li…Lightning?! She's in Tenebrae!_

"She's in the guestroom right now, but I think it's best if we don't disturb her…"

Noctis crushed the phone in his hand, not bothering to hear the rest of the conversation.

His eyes then became a deep blood color.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Got Noct out of the corner.

Thanks for the comments from **SunflowerWeilder, Dawn, sillyscenegurly, gagboy**, **and .f.R.1.3.D.a. **


	24. Fermata

It was around one in the morning when Stella retired for the evening. Wearing a light blue nightgown and a lilac silk robe, she was preparing to spend the rest of the night sleeping. She sat on her bed, trying to think of what to do next.

Lightning was still asleep in the guest room. She had been that way for half a day now. The doctors had bandaged her up, removed six bullets from her body, and pulled dozens of glass shards. There was no way that she was going to wake her guest. Worse, the princess knew that she was harboring a traitor and would have to turn Lightning over to authorities.

Stella rubbed her temples, wondering just what to do about Noctis. He was a completely different story. Knowing him, he would either not care about her or hurt Lightning. If the second case happened, Stella was prepared to defend her against the prince.

She was a friend and she would defend her no matter what.

Suddenly, a surge of power caught her attention. It wasn't from the crystal…and it was stronger than the one that led her to Lightning…

"Crap…" she whispered allowed.

Her eyes widened and she ran out of the bedroom.

* * *

The guest room was completely silent, other than the steady rising and falling chest of the sleeping Lightning in the queen bed. Her pale red lips were pressed together and her eyes closed over her blue eyes. Bandages had been placed across her chest and body, soaking up the remaining blood from her wounds. Her only protection was the comfort of the silk sheets against her body and the wispy sheer curtains that were draped as a canopy on top of the bed posts.

This small place of bliss was ruined by the sound of spinning glass and crystals. Noctis had teleported himself from the shrine to the room. His scarlet eyes were aimed directly at the covered figure in the bed. The sheer curtains of the bed only let him see a vague outline of the person lying in the bed.

He took a few steps across the room, to the edge of the bed and pulled the drapes back.

His heart stopped for a moment. It was her.

Lightning lay in the comfort of the bed, completely vulnerable and unaware of her surroundings. The light of the full moon fell across her face, showing the angles of her face and the highlights of her strawberry blond hair. Though her face seemed peaceful, her right hand was shaking, as though someone had scared her.

Yet rather than a helpless girl in Lightning, Noctis saw a traitor who had destroyed a part of his heart. He had suffered, and now it was her turn to be punished.

The prince raised his right hand, summoning an ornamental dagger made of blue steel and adorned with clear crystals. Grasping it, he then raised the weapon above his head. With his free hand, he firmly touched Lightning's chin, making sure that she could not escape from the blow.

"You have no idea how much pain you have caused me" Noctis spoke aloud, wishing and hoping that Lightning was listening.

He then commanded his hand to move forward, but something in his mind forced him to reconsider: their first meeting, the emotions of those meetings with her, how much he had cared about Lightning. But what she had done to Tenebrae, the war, Stella, him…that was unforgivable. Taking a deep breath, he raised the weapon above his head once again.

"Now, farewell Lightning!"

His hand gripping the dagger began to fall towards Lightning's exposed neck.

He did not hear the door to the room burst open or the sound of hurried foot steps on the carpet. Nor a dimmed orb of yellow light form in the opened door.

Yet he did hear a whispered, "Perfect Light of Ifrit."

Noctis' hand froze and he turned to see a ball of light fly in his direction. He then closed his eyes and transported out of the room before the orb hit him, leaving only the glimmer of fragmented shards in the space he had once been. The dagger he held dropped to the floor.

Hearing the sound of the shimmering flecks, the orb abruptly vanished into nothingness, leaving no trace that such a spell had been cast.

Stella lowered her right hand as a series of small circles that moved around the hand disappeared. Once they had disappeared, she retracted her hand. She could feel the energy of the crystal flowing through her. The tell tale sign of her mark could be seen: her violet eyes had been consumed by an unnatural orange.

The princess then walked over to Lightning. She relaxed when she saw that her friend was still asleep.

_Too close._

* * *

Noctis opened his scarlet eyes once again to find himself in the Crystal Shrine again. He fell to his knees, breathing hard.

_What the heck…Lightning?!_

The prince was trying to understand what had exactly happened. One moment he was standing above Lightning, and the next moment someone had stopped him.

"I expected you to be more polite," spoke a feminine voice.

Noctis looked up to see Stella in her nightgown and robe holding a gold and steel rapier in one hand. Her eyes were orange, a sight he rarely saw because she was always careful about controlling her powers.

Noctis grunted, "That was her!"

"I know it was her," Stella remained stationary as she spoke. "I brought her here."

"WHY!?"

"Because she was nearly dead when I found her."

"You should have finished the job then," Noctis said as he finally stood up.

Stella became enraged, an emotion she never expressed. In her furry she ran up to the prince and slapped him across the face. "How dare you say that!"

Noctis' face turned away from the blow. He tried to say something in response, but words did not come to him.

"You cared about her Noct" Stella screamed. Her voice broke slightly as she spoke. "What's happened to you?"

"Stella," Noctis finally broke his silence, "have you forgotten what she did to us. That spy nearly killed me, nearly stole the crystal! She's the one who's elongating this war!

"She has no place in my heart!"

The princess' mouth quivered. "Do you care for no one then?"

"What?"

That was the answered she anticipated and hated.

"I guess I mean nothing to you then?"

Noctis shifted forward, his face showing regret. "No, no, no! You mean the world to me Stella. I would do anything for you." In truth, she was the only person in the whole world who understood his burden, pain, and fears.

"Then if you care about my well-being, you will allow Lightning to stay until she is well."

The prince bit his lower lip in frustration. "What do you plan to do with her?"

"Let her rest and regain her strength. When she awakens, then I will deal with her."

The two stared into each other's eyes, red meeting orange. Stella then turned around and walked away from the prince. "She is my guest and I will treat her like one. I do not need your consent to keep guests in my home."

With that, she disappeared into thin air, leaving a trail of yellow and white fragments in the air.

Noctis could no longer hold his emotions back, and he collapsed to the unwelcoming marble floor.

_Why Lightning…why are you back now?_

* * *

"What do you mean she's gone!" roared Lorelei.

She was standing with two lower ranking generals, who had just explained what had happened with Lightning about a day ago.

"I tell you to protect one measly girl and you loose her like sand through your fingers! We almost lost Dr. Cid thanks to your incompetence."

"Look, I'm sorry General Lorelei" one of the men stammered, "but she found a crack in the security…"

"Do you know how much she was worth?" Lorelei commented, her voice having calmed down.

"No General?"

"Everything."

The general looked down and removed a pair of silver glasses from her pocket. She then placed them on her face and looked up. "That does not matter, the plans still hold. We have nothing to fear."

One of the men she was with asked then, "What of the relationship with his royal highness?"

"I have that fool right where I want him to be" Lorelei replied, with a coy smile on her face.

At least some things were going the way she wanted them to be.

* * *

Nothing.

That was what Lightning saw a lot of during her sleep. But for once, she had chosen to see nothing. Most of her sleep for the past two years had been filled with images of the terrors of Cid and Hojo. She even feared Lorelei for her betrayal on the helicopter. That scene played over and over again in her head while she was in that lab.

But for the first time, Lightning's mind rested.

Something interrupted her dreamy nothingness. The rising sun rays had begun to touch her eyelids, making her squint her closed eyes to keep the light out. Then an aroma filled her nose. It wasn't anything sterile or bloody, but rather a sent of perfumed flora.

Curious, Lightning opened her eyes, slowly so she could adjust to the brightness. Her vision was blurry at first, made up mostly of blobs of purple, deep blues. This scene became more focused after a few blinks. She now saw a room, with fine furniture, the blue bed she was lying in, and light purple flowers on a stand.

Trying to turn her head, a sharp pain alerted Lightning that moving would result in further pain. A small whimper escaped her lips, finally free to express her true feeling. It was a relief, but she had no idea where she was.

Lightning heard the sound of a door opening, but had no idea where the entrance was located. Being stubborn, she tried to shift her body again, but was punished with another ache in her chest. She grunted, frustrated by her lack of movement.

"Ah, you're awake!"

_That voice_, Lightning thought, _I couldn't be…_

Unsure of what else to say, she closed her eyes and whispered "St…Stella?"

She was then treated with an enormous hug from the stranger. Lightning's eyes opened, as she saw a head of long blond hair and gentle arms embrace her. To her surprise, Lightning didn't feel any pain.

"Lightning!" the stranger spoke, her voice filled with joy. She then pulled out of her hug, to reveal a graceful face, with pale skin, pink lips, and expressive purple eyes. However, Lightning could not help but notice the streaks of orange in those violet orbs.

"Stella," Lightning smiled, and moved to return the hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright. You had me worried for some time."

"Stella…where am I?"

"You're back in Tenebrae."

The princess then pulled back so she was facing Lightning.

A million emotions were flowing through Lightning. She was happy to be safe from Lorelei, but was now in the kingdom she betrayed, with one of the people she had directly hurt. "I…I…"

"Sh. You don't need to say anything. Right now you are a welcome guest and friend."

"But, I hurt you and…Noct…"

"We'll deal with that later. Right now, you need to rest."

It was then that Lightning's eyes noticed a small sparkle coming from the princess' hand. She moved her head to see just what exactly the mystery object was.

Stella took notice and regretfully moved her hand forward to show Lightning the engagement ring.

Lightning grasped the princess's hand and examined the ring.

"Are you..." Lightning began before trailing off.

Stella nodded her head. "I'm engaged to Noct."

"Did he ask you?"

"No." The princess shifted her gaze down. "King Giovanni set up the marriage."

"I see."

The two girls then looked away from each other. Noctis was obviously a touchy subject and neither wanted to talk about him.

After some time, Stella broke the silence. "Well, you should get some rest."

"Stella," Lightning called.

"Yes, Lightning?"

"Thank you."

Stella smiled. "You are most welcome Lightning."

* * *

Silence.

There was something about it that irked Sazh Katzory. Yes there was peace in calm in silence, but from his experience in the war, in the silence, there was always danger and the chance of being attacked.

Though the camp had been scouted deep in the woods, miles and miles away from any civilization, there was always the fear that he would be attacked by someone. That he could loose his friends, and those he cared about.

He was almost forty and he had already seen so much sadness and grief that it was enough to last him a lifetime. The man reached into his large right front coat pocket and fingered around, until he felt the softness of relaxed bird fathers. Deep within the sack, he heard a soft _Khew _sound.

He smiled. There were two things that made his life wonderful: Hina and Snow. Hina being a newly hatched chocobo who was convinced Sazh was her mother and Snow being the son of one of his commanding officers and dear friend.

A soft breeze passed through the air, carrying on it the sound of instrument; a violin to be precise.

_La ti do fa dooooo, Doo ti la doooo._

Seeing nothing else to do, the retired fighter decided to follow the music. As the notes drifted on the wind, he imagined the steady persistent rhythm of drums in the background.

_La ti do fa dooooo, Doo ti la doooo._

Looking up, he found the source of the music sitting lazily in one of the trees.

"You what time it is?" Sazh yelled.

The music stopped, but the figure in the tree did not budge from his spot.

"I'm not the twelve year old who hung on your every word Sazh," came a reply.

"I know that…it just that to me, you'll always be that little kid."

The figure softly chuckled. "I'll be back to camp in a few minutes."

Sazh was pleased with this answer and walked back to camp himself.

Snow, however, remained in the tree for a few more minutes. Sighing, he put the violin back in its case, which was laying on the branch beside him. Once that was done, he then reached into his tattered trench coat pocket and pulled out a tiny ocarina. The little clay instrument was covered with scratches, burn marks, and worn down from years of traveling in his coat pocket. At one of the ends of the object, a small insignia had been etched away from use.

Those were just little memories of his past life…before he lost his family. He had at first hoped that they were alive, but the older he grew he came closer to the conclusion that there was nothing he could do. All he could do now was to live his life as best as he could and hope that one day he could be free.

Yet there was always a nagging thought that his family was still there…somewhere.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yikes that was a lot. The song that Snow is playing is 'Terra's Theme' from Final Fantasy VI. Thanks for the reviews from **Tutu**, **SunflowerWeilder, gagboy, sillyscenegurly, feFisgbf13, Dawn, F.r.1.3.D.a, LeRouge The Rouge **and .


	25. A Unison Point

**Author's Note: **Trying something a little different by putting my notes up here. Anyway, thanks so much for all the reveiws guys! Its what keeps me writting. Thanks **LeRouge The Rouge, , Dawn, .f.R.1.3.D.a., Fefisgbf13, gagboy, **and **Sunflower**. You're comments mean so much to me.

All characters and locations owned by Square Enix.

* * *

Stella returned from checking on Lightning back to her bedroom. She had a small smile on her face. In her hand was a small ivory and gold coffee mug of morning tea that she had grabbed from the kitchen. At least, she thought to herself, Lightning was awake and well. Perhaps now she could work on making Noctis feel better.

Walking into the bedroom, she found the prince sitting on the bed. He finally returned home after three days, though that was becoming the norm for his schedule.

"Hey Noct," she said.

Noctis looked up at Stella. His face looked gaunt and tired. "Morning."

"You doing better from a few nights ago?" The princess reached the bed and sat beside Noctis. She started rubbing his back, sensing that he needed some affection.

Noctis nodded yes.

"Good. For your sake, I am not letting you near Lightning unless I am around."

"Is she still in the guest room?" Noctis asked, his voice sounding tired.

"Yes."

"I'll be in the study then." The prince then stood up and walked out of the room. Stella watched him leave. She then took a deep breath and sipped some tea.

_Today is going to be better._

* * *

Noctis calmly walked to the study. Lightning was still on his mind. The thought that she was in the apartment boggled his mind. He tried not to think about her.

Yet Noctis wanted her to be punished, to suffer what he was going through right now.

There was only one thing to do now to calm him down: play the piano.

Two years after his interest in the instrument had been renewed he was still a terrible player. He sighed. It was about the only thing he could really do to relax now and get away from his life at the moment.

Noctis reached the study, which was covered with walls of books and papers, along with odd assortments of pictures, objects, and boxes. The prince and princess were still adjusting to life in the new apartment on the 58th floor of one of the Tenebrae skyscrapers. Noctis had wanted to live without Stella, at least until the two were married, but Stella and his father had insisted on living with her.

Scanning a series of books, he found a small black binder with printed out scores. The scores in hand, Noctis navigated the boxes and tables that were in the room over to the onyx grand piano. He then sat on the stool, placed the binder on the piano sheet holder, and flipped a few pages until he found a score he could play without sounding terrible.

'In Dreams' by Howard Shore.

Noctis exhaled, relaxed his hands, and started to slowly play.

_Re mi so la la mi fa mi re…_

His hands did not have the ability to gracefully play the piano, but they were at least hitting the right keys, most of the time anyway. He stopped a few times, trying to remember what key to hit next.

Finishing the bridge, he began the melody line. It included lyrics that Noctis normally ignored. But for some reason, he decided to sing. At least it could help him play the right piano notes.

_When the cold of winter comes…_

His voice was a little high for his age, and he struggled to hit the notes and pitch. He was also singing in a whisper, a little embarrassed that he was actually.

_  
Starless night will cover day…In the veiling of the sun…We will walk in bitter rain…_

* * *

Since meeting with Stella, Lightning had spent most of her time sleeping. Her dreams had been spotted by images of Cid and Hojo glaring over her, Lorelei knocking her out, and Noctis sleeping before she tried to steal the crystal. All of the raw emotions that she had experienced were coming back to her, in all their pain and terror. She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She tried to apologize to Noctis, but her voice refused to open.

And then, her ears were filled with the sound of a simple piano tune.

_Re mi so la la mi fa mi re…_

Her eyes shot open. Lightning got her bearings again. She was in the guest room of an apartment in Tenebrae. She then tried to sit up in the bed. Struggling for a moment, as she pushed herself up, she winced as some of her muscles screamed in agony. They were dulled, thankfully.

_Re mi so la la mi fa mi re…_

The tune crossed her hearing again. She wondered who exactly was playing. Curious, she stepped out of bed, her legs numb and unresponsive at first. The first few steps across the room were a little bit of struggle, as she relearned how to walk again. But after a few wobbles, she managed to successfully walk out of the room and into the hallway.

Glancing around, she saw that no one was there. She then walked forward, trying to listen for the tune. After a few seconds of silence as though the player was trying to work through a key change. The piano was then added with a simple person singing.

_When the cold of winter comes…_

It was slow, and a little off key, but it was nonetheless, a singing voice. She wondered who exactly was signing.

_Starless night will cover day…_

But that line, she had found a decorated oak door and pressed her ears to it. She heard the singing and piano playing in there.

_In the veiling of the sun…_

Quietly, she opened the door so that she could see who was inside.

She saw a figure, wearing a deep blue blazer sitting at what appeared to be a grand piano. The person was facing away, but she could still see a mass of short deep black and blue hair tousled about.

Lightning knew who it was: Noctis.

_We will walk in bitter rain…_

She moved her body away from the door. She didn't want to see him again. He likely hated her, hated her for everything that she had done to him. But they would have to meet, and she would rather meet on her terms than his.

Holding her thoughts in her head, Lightning gingerly opened the door to the room and quietly walked over to the piano as best she could. The player seemed too preoccupied with playing to notice her walking up behind him.

_But in dreams…I can hear your name…_

* * *

Noctis continued to play, trying to stay as focused as possible. He liked the next part of the song, but it was always a struggle to play.

_But in dreams…I can hear your name…_

_And in dreams…We will meet again…_

He then stopped and stared at the score. He hit a few notes, trying to get the right note.

_Do, So, FA…_

He could not see that note.

_La._

That caught his attention.

Noctis looked across the piano to see a slender pale finger of the key. It wasn't his. He mouth opened slightly as his eyes followed the finger, up the arm, into the eyes of a woman a year younger than him, with rosy blond hair and familiar eyes.

Her face looked tired, lacking some of the youthfulness that he recalled her having years ago. The curves of her face had been replaced by angles. Her eyes were different. They were still blue, but spots around the pupils were colored yellow. Was she cursed?

"Hello Noctis," she whispered. He eyes looked away from the prince, ashamed that she was even there.

Noctis tried to say something, but he couldn't. He was not sure what she should say, whether to scream at Lightning, greet her, or show pity. What she had done was unforgivable in his eyes, but she was still a human. He could tell she was just as uncomfortable as he was, and decided instead of being impolite, the prince thought it would be best to show some kindness to her. After all, she had been courageous in coming to see him.

He tried to say hello, but instead all he managed was a small, "He…hey."

Lightning nervously pressed her lips together. She then looked back at Noctis, a little scared by scarlet color of his eyes. She tried to say something, anything in response, but she could not.

The awkward situation was relieved somewhat by the sound of the door opening.

"Good to see you two are here," spoke a kind voice. It was Stella, holding a tray with three mugs on top of it, with a medium sized tea pot. She walked over, eyes focused on the tray. She then placed the tray on a cleared table and then looked over at the two occupants in the study.

"I think it's time we talk about what happened these past two years."

* * *

At the NORA base, Snow had woken from his extended nap, which was about 24 hours. It was understandable to sleep that long, since he had been up for nearly four days straight since the first information about Narshe's attack was first heard of. But now, Snow was up and ready to meet with the heads of his team.

Putting on his shirt, long tattered trench coat that he refused to get rid of, no matter how much Sazh insisted he get a new coat, his black bandana, and gloves. He then walked out of his tent, and into the tent of Maqui, the team's young computer nerd. The boy was only 14, but the orphan had a skill for computers and had immortalized Snow as a hero. The leader was sure that the boy's dream was to be him, and he tried everything in his power to treat Margui like a little brother. It, in some ways, filled the whole of his lost sibling.

"You got information?" he asked.

Maqui nodded his head. "Yeah. Just got something from the news wire."

He then handed Snow a piece of printed paper.

"They're doing something with a new type of armor."

"New armor?"

"It's only in the early stages of development," Larsus said, "but it appears to be quite effective. The basic idea is to enhance a soldier's senses and raise their strength."

Snow looked at Larsus. "That's impossible."

"I'm afraid it's been made a reality now Snow. Troops wearing this new armor were spotted by an Avalanche scout leaving Narshe."

"And from what I've gathered," began Yuge, "the names Cid and Hojo have been floating around."

"Psh, those two old guys again?" Gadot chuckled.

"They may be old," responded Sazh, "but it's never a good sign when either shows their face. Those two are the top scientists of the Algentian army."

The man then rubbed his chin, remembering what had happened earlier in his life. Sazh knew better. He had witnessed first hand the terrors of those two men and their inventions.

"There's also information about Lorelei," continued Maqui.

Snow looked at Maqui with curiosity. "What is she up to now?"

"Ever since King Philip passed away, she has apparently been getting close to King Trion."

"How much do you want to bet that Lorelei killed Philip herself?" said Gadot.

"Wouldn't surprise me. But apparently I don't like the fact that she's getting close with the king."

Larsus nodded his head. "She's too much of a threat to not let her out of sight."

"So, what do we do now?" Leberu asked.

Snow crossed his arms, his face in a state of wonder. "Let's see what else we can find out about this new armor. In the meantime, I don't think anyone will be trying to find their way through the forest, so we're safe for now."

Maqui began typing on his computer. "I'm letting Avalance, the Returners and the WR know that we're staying here."

"And I've let Team Oriens know the details," Lasrus added.

"Good," said Snow. "Let me know if anything else comes up." With that, he exited the tent to do a few tasks around the camp.


	26. Revelations and Greetings

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! Just to let you know, this chapter is mostly dialogue and will answer a few questions that you may have been wondering about Lightning. One the reviewers had concern that Noctis will fall right back into Lightning's arms again, which is not the case. He is not just going to become obsessed with her over night. Just as a hint, she's going to have to prove to him that she can be trusted.

Thanks for the reviews from **Yuki, Dawn, flower on thewind, Sunflower Weilder, gagboy, .f.R.1.3.D.a,** and **feFisgbf13**.

Also, thanks for the 100+ reviews. I love you guys! Again, if you have any question, just email me and I will be happy to answer them.

Enjoy. All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix.

* * *

Noctis and Lightning finally moved from their position at the piano and over to a set of two ivory and gold lovebird couches. The prince and princess sat on one, while Lightning sat on the other, facing directly opposite the two people.

"So," Lightning began, her voice subdued, "what do you want to know?" She had her legs crossed, and her hands tightly folded in her lap. Everything about her showed how uncomfortable she was with this. Her long hair was tossed in strands around her back, and a few hung loosely across her front.

Stella looked back. "The truth. Who are you, and what happened to you?"

The prince remained silent, staring at Lightning. He was not sure what Stella was doing.

"Are you doing this so that I might feel sorry for Lightning?" he muttered.

"Noctis!" Stella turned to him, disapproving of what he had just said.

"It's alright Stella," Lightning spoke. "I…I really don't deserve any sympathy."

The prince's words echoed in her head. He had changed from the man she had once known.

Stella wanted to reply to Lightning, but decided that tensions were already high and decided to drop the subject entirely. "Go ahead Lightning," she spoke encouragingly.

Lightning shifted her position on the couch. Instead of thinking of what to say, the words just started to flow from her mind to her lips, like a prisoner who had been confined in a cage for years and was finally free to speak.

"Well, to be honest, I really don't know who I am. I…don't even think Lightning is my real name…the only reason I'm called Lightning is because I was assigned that name by some one. Who, I don't know."

She bit her lips, trying to gather her thoughts.

"My earliest memory was being in an orphanage with a bunch of other children. I think was nine or ten when I first got there, but I'm not sure about that. It was run by the Algentian government, as a place for them to find new recruits for the war. I just remember that place being so cold and wet. I remember I was always scared, terrified of what would happen to me.

"The goal of the orphanage was to create hatred toward the other empires, those who fought against Algentia. Some accepted those thoughts willingly, other fought against those lies. Me, I had no idea what to believe.

"I must have stayed there for a year or two. I got into trouble all the time. I picked fights with everyone. But, I could out run and out fight every kid in that place. It came with a price though. I was always in the infirmary, always getting punished by an adult. At one point, I think I had more broken teeth than whole adult teeth.

"Towards the end of my stay, a man from the Algentian came to visit me.

"He, uh, offered me a chance to leave the orphanage. Said that the empire needed young kids like me. I went with him."

Lightning paused and shifted her position on the couch once again. There was a small knock on the door just then.

"Come in," Stella spoke.

The door creaked open to reveal Adrian, Rex, and Quinn, all of who seemed curious by what was happening.

"We," Rex spoke, "we were wondering if we could join you guys?"

Stella looked at Lightning for approval. She responded with a simple shake of her head.

"You three can come in."

The men then gathered three chairs and placed them around Noctis and Stella. Lightning looked on, amazed at how much she had missed them in those two years. Once they were situated, Stella asked Lightning to continue talking.

"This place he took me to was a training camp," she explained. "They basically turned me into a soldier, a fighter for the great empire.

"But I never fit in. I was always faster and stronger than the others in my group. And it didn't help that I had no idea who I was before. It got to be very frustrating. Everyone there had dreams and aspirations, but I had none of that. I just retreated into this shell of caring only for myself.

"Sometime when I was sixteen, a few soldiers and I snuck out to a bar. I was underage, but they didn't seem to mind that. There was a piano at the bar and they wanted music. Somehow I got stuck playing the piano, and, well, I just started playing these songs."

Lightning glanced around the room. She focused on Noctis for a moment, seeing a disappointed frown on his face. She hated the red eyes he had.

She continued with, "Um, it turns out there was a high ranking member of the army and espionage team there and he took some interest in me. He later would turn out to be my mentor for a year before moving to on."

"So you were the army's pet?" Noctis grunted.

"You could say that," Lightning calmly said. Stella threw a disapproving glance at the prince. In his mind, the number of wrongs that Lightning had done was increasing with each sentence.

"Anyway, I trained under him and left the army for spying. After three years of training, I got my first assignment: Operation Commandeer. It was an extended mission out of Algentia to get the crystal of Tenebrae.

"And that's…"

"That's when you came to Tenebrae," Stella spoke, finishing Lightning's sentence.

"Yeah."

The prince and princess already knew about what went on during that point in Lightning's life, so there was no point to explain what happened then.

So she continued: "When I left Tenebrae, I had completed most of my mission. I was then asked to rendezvous with my contact for the mission and return to Tenebrae. For my work, I would be given a new identity, a place out of the Algentian government, and an exchange of information about my past, how ever small the amount was.

"I got to the extraction point, and was greeted by General Lorelei…"

She closed her eyes, remembering the struggle she had had with the guards, the sensation of the cold metal floor hitting her face.

"She was not apart of the mission, although I'm sure she had a hand in planning it. I thought she was there to congratulate me. But everything went wrong."

Another pause. Lightning bit her tongue, trying to suppress tears of anger and frustration.

Stella saw what Lightning was doing and grabbed a small handkerchief from her robe and offered it to Lightning. She then used the hankie and took a few deep breaths.

"It…it turns out they never wanted the crystal. They wanted me got get cursed by the crystal, so they could use my power against Tenebrae and win the war. Basically, everything I did was so they could backstab me and turn me into a lab rat."

This was getting harder and harder for her to talk about. Stella sensed that frustration and decided to explain something to Lightning.

"Your eye color," she began, "and mine and Noct's, is a mark that the powers of the crystal are in you. Noctis and I only recently had the change in color, and we've been under the crystal's influence for years. In the two years since your interaction with the crystal, your eyes are already showing color.

"Did they do anything to you to disturb the power in you?"

Lightning understood the question.

"There's, um, there's a pair of synthetic crystals in the suit I was wearing."

"You mean these?" Quinn asked as he removed a small wrapped object from his jacket pocket. He handed it to Lightning. "I can't touch it. And Stella said when we were returning to Tenebrae that she felt a power surge in the pocket."

As he talked, Lightning unwrapped the package, revealing the palm sized rose crystal. She then placed it on the coffee table so the others could see it.

"What on Gaia?" Adrian gasped and he stared at the glowing stone.

"That is the work of Dr. Cid and Dr. Hojo," Lightning explained. "There are probably nine more like this one in the hands of the Algentian army. It's the power they extracted from my blood."

"Is it as powerful as the real crystal?" Rex asked.

"It's synthetic so it might not be as powerful, but they can make as many crystals as they want."

Noctis had listened to all of this and had tried to hold back his anger, but it had reached a boiling point. "So basically, Tenebrae no longer has the upper hand?!"

Lightning looked back at the prince with terrified eyes.

"And everything about your life, up until two years ago, was a fabrication?!"

"Noctis!" Stella spoke, with a hint of anger in her voice.

"Thanks so much Lightning!" Noctis then stood up from his seat on the couch.

Lightning did too in response. "I'm sorry Noctis. I…" her voice started to crack, "I'm sorry for what I did to you."

"You're sorry!" Noctis screamed back, the volume of his voice rising with each word he spoke. "YOU'RE sorry! HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL! I'M DYING BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I THOUGHT ABOUT FOR TWO YEARS IN THAT GLASS TUBE?!" Hot tears streamed down her face. "All I could think about was how stupid I was! How foolish I was in betraying you!"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE YOU GOT TO KNOW ME!"

"I TRIED TO, NOCTIS! I was ordered to kill anyone who knew me, and that _included you!_ I almost lost my head for not doing what I was ordered!"

Noctis paused for a moment. "So was everything in those sessions we had a lie?"

"I…I don't know."

"I opened myself up to you, and what do you do? You RUINED my life!"

"NOCTIS!" Stella screamed. "That's enough!" Her fists were clenched as if she were ready to punch him again. Adrian, Rex and Quinn had also stood up and looked at though they too were also ready to lunge at Noctis.

"I DIED THAT DAY!" Lightning screamed. Even more tears poured down her face. "I've been dead for two years. The day I left Tenebrae, all of my thoughts and hopes and wishes became that I would see you again, because you gave me something that no one else could have given me.

"You told me my past.

"You answered the question that I had been hiding and pondering for eleven years. And I am so, so sorry that you got hurt in the process."

Noctis remained silent, his red eyes intently focused on Lightning's opal eyes. Her face was now stained with the flow of tears.

"The truth is I want nothing more than to be forgiven, even if that means being held by the Tenebrae authorities."

The prince was completely confused. Lightning stood there, knowing that she had wronged his kingdom and he, yet she wanted to be punished for it.

"I'm tired of running away and burying my problems," Lightning continued. Her eye's expression was now seeped with ferocity and bravery. "It's about time I face them."

With that, she walked away from Noctis and towards Stella. The princes met Lightning and gave her an enormous hug. Lightning started crying again.

"It's alright," Stella whispered in her ear. "It's alright."

Noctis looked back at Lightning. Just when he had thought he understood everything about her, she turned around and completely floored him. For the first time, he saw clearly the mystery of Lightning that had intrigued him almost three years ago. She had still sinned, that was certain, but she knew what she had done, and was ready to pay the penalty for her actions. In his entire time as prince, he never saw anyone, not a commoner or officer, aristocrat or father, ever do such a thing: admit he or she was wrong.

Perhaps, perhaps he himself needed forgiveness for what he had done to Lightning and Stella. For the wrath he had given them. Lightning still had a long way to go though, before he could trust her again, but this was at least a step in the right direction.

"I'll see what I can do about retribution," Noctis said. "I think I might be able to reach an agreement you might like Lightning."

The princess looked back at Noctis to see the smallest sliver of a smile appeared on the prince's face and for the first time in two years, his eyes change to their deep blue color.

* * *

Snow had just left the meeting when Vanille walked up to him.

"Hey, we got a few survivors of Narshe who just arrived," she explained, pointing to a crowd of people who were standing at the far end of the camp.

Snow was taken aback. "I thought there were no survivors."

"I guess they must have left the city before the attack and your scoutters arrived."

The two then walked over to the group of about thirty people. They all looked tired and worn down. Who could blame them? They had just walked all the way from the northern side of Gaia to the mid western region.

Snow looked over the group, giving his usual welcoming message. Vanille stood by him and watched the people. She then took interest in a young boy with silver hair, wearing an orange coat and green scarf.

"Hey, little guy," she said to the young boy.

The kid took notice of Vanille and glowered back at her. "I'm not 'little'! I'm 14."

"I'm sorry," Vanille said apologetically. She then sat down on the ground next to the boy.

"So, welcome to NORA," she said. "I'm Orbea Dia Vanille."

"That's a weird name," the boy responded.

"I prefer the term unique. There are no weird names, in my opinion."

"Mine's weird."

"Oh really, what is it then?"

"Hope."

Vanille smiled. "Hope. I think that's a lovely name."

"It's a girly name though."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of that name. Hope," Vanille now stood up and was pacing in a circle around her new friend. "Hope. It reminds me of spring coming in the dead of winter. Of happiness and good times." The whole time she spoke, she had a smile on her face.

"My mom…my mom," Hope's voice started to crack a little. "My mom loved that word. She always talked about hoping for an end to the war."

Vanille spotted walking and squatted so her eyes were level with Hope. She had a suspicion that his mother had died sometime during the attack on Narshe. "You wanna know something?" she calmly told Hope. "I never knew my mother. So my name was given to me by my caretakers. The fact that you remember your mother and that she gave you that name, you should never be ashamed of that, Hope."

Hope's eyes began to water. "Do you mean that?"

Vanille placed a hand on her heart. "I say everything that I mean." She then smiled at Hope and opened her arms. "Do you want a hug?"

Hope replied by clutching Vanille's chest and wrapping his arms around her. Vanille in turn did the same.

Snow stood in the background, watching the whole scene unfold. That was something about Vanille: she had a magical way of making everyone she met feel happy. In time, Hope would warm up to her and perhaps NORA even more.

"That's Hope Estheim," Reeve explained to Snow. "His mother died during the raid."

"I see."

"It's really a shame that he has to go through with loosing her. But sadly, it's the norm rather than the exception these days."

"Tell me about it," Snow replied. The two continued to talk while Vanille and Hope hung out together.


	27. Things in Motion

**Author's Note: **Hey guys! On vacation right now so I'll be updating a lot. I'm going to try and finish the story before I return to school, so we'll see how that goes. I may not have replied to some of your reviews because the review reply is not working at this point. Hopefully, that will get fixed in the next day.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews from **Yuki,** **Dawn, flower on thewind, Sunflower Weilder, gagboy, .f.R.1.3.D.a,** and **feFisgbf13**.

Again, if you have any question, just email me and I will be happy to answer them.

Enjoy. All characters and locations are owned by Square Enix.

* * *

Soon after the conversation with Lightning ended, Noctis returned to the Crystal Shrine. He spent the next day there just thinking about what had happened. Lightning was still on his mind even as he sat guarding the crystal. He wondered if the woman he saw today was the real Lightning. She was much more vulnerable but also more courageous.

Yet even though she had stood up to him, Noctis still had reasons to not trust her. She could turn on him. She could be lying. Once again, Noctis decided to isolate himself from Lightning.

Then there was Stella. She was so adamant in keeping Lightning with her. But she had been hurt as well because of Lightning's actions. How could she be so forgiving and trusting of Lightning? It was just another mystery about the princess.

"Hey Noct," came a voice across the hall as the entrance opened.

Noctis looked up to see Adrian and Rex.

"Hello," Noctis replied.

"You seem to be in a good mood," commented Rex. "What's up?"

"Just, I've just been thinking about Stella and Lightning."

"About what happened earlier?"

"Yes."

"I feel really bad for Lightning," said Adrian.

"How so?" asked Noctis.

"Well, she got stabbed in the back by her own country and then turned into a science experiment," he explained. "I guess I just feel terrible for her."

"But it's her own fault that she got involved in spying and agreed to take part in the mission."

"How can you say that?" Rex said.

"Well, she chose to agree to work in that field, she knew the possible consequences, and she knew the risks. Yes it's a shame that she got the short end of the stick, but something like that comes with the territory of working in that field."

Adrian and Rex started at the prince with disbelief. "That seems almost cold hearted," replied Adrian.

"It seems that way," Noctis replied, "but I'm trying to look at things logically. I still feel pity for her, but I am trying to keep Lightning's plight out of the emotional and more in the logical."

"You're still miffed that she hurt you," Rex commented.

"I never said I was angry at her," the prince quickly replied.

"Yeah but let's face it, you were a mess after Lightning left. I don't blame you, but this logical state you're in, it seems you're just trying to block your emotions."

Noctis was about to say something, but stopped himself from saying it. "Should…should I forgive her?"

Adrian looked at Rex and then back to the prince. "To be honest, I think you should and then move on with life."

"You can't stay mad at her forever," added Rex. "And to be honest, I think you'd be a lot happier if you did"

Noctis pondered those statements. For two years, he had held these emotional holds of wrath at Lightning. It had changed him into something he was perhaps never meant to be.

* * *

At the apartment of the princess and princess, Lightning was being treated to what Stella called a 'day of beauty'. She had calmed Lightning down from the previous day and was now pampering her.

"You really don't need to do this," Lightning said multiple times during the day.

"But I insist," Stella replied. "Think of it as my gift to you."

The first thing that happened was Lightning was pulled into the master bathroom and scrubbed down by a dozen maids. Her nails were done at the same time as her hair was cut back to where it was more manageable. Lightning was also given a facial, had her back rubbed and hands rubbed.

The hand rub became a little awkward when one of the maids accidentally switched the zero gravity button on Lightning's finger on. That resulting in a few maids running out of the room terrified because they thought the girl had become possessed.

After that little mishap, the rest of the day was spent with Lightning's right hand clenched in a fist so no one would touch it.

But the end, Lightning was beautified and was now wearing a knee length navy blue turtleneck dress.

"I have to say Stella," she told the princess when everything was done, "I've never felt more girly in my life."

Stella giggled. "You're most welcome."

"Can I ask why you are doing this for me?"

The princess smiled and looked at Lightning. "You're a guest and I want to treat you with the greatest respect and hospitality."

Lightning smiled. That slowly faded when she thought about the crystal. "Hey Stella, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How did you become cursed by the crystal?"

Stella sighed. "I was about eight years old when it happened. My father had managed to steal the crystal from the Caelum family and was keeping it at our house. Me, being a curious kid, decided to touch the gem, and you know the rest."

"What happened afterward?" Lightning had a feeling that she was opening a Pandora's Box but continued to as questions.

"I was in a coma for some time. Afterwards, my father returned the crystal to King Giovanni. Since then, my family has had a difficult relationship with the Caelum's."

"But why the engagement?"

The princess started to play with her diamond ring at that moment. "I think it's because Giovanni saw that I was caring for Noctis after you came and wanted to unite the kingdom."

That peaked Lightning's interest. "So, he doesn't know that you and he are cursed?"

"No."

Lightning thought it was odd that Noctis' own father had no idea about what was happening with his son. It was a shame, because Lightning knew more than the prince's own father. "I know that the crystal shortens one's life."

Stella nodded her head to indicate yes.

"How long do I have before I die?"

"I don't know. I don't know when Etro will call you to join her. It could be tomorrow, or in twenty years."

"Etro: the Tenebrae Goddess of Death and the one who bestows the crystal to humanity." Lightning looked at the princess. For the first time, she saw a certain amount of sadness and fear in the princess' eyes. "Your time is coming soon, isn't it?"

"Yes," Stella said with some effort. "I hate to think about it, but there is no avoiding it."

"Is there anyway to stop this?"

"No."

Lightning bowed her head in sadness and defeat.

"Lightning," Stella then spoke, "we all die. There is no avoiding it. What is best to do now is to live life like there is no tomorrow. Enjoy and savor every moment of it." She the walked over to Lightning and hugged her. She returned the hug.

* * *

There was buzz on the helicopter pad outside the Algentian base in Junon, about fifty miles south of Algentia and thirty miles east of the Ivalice border. A whole row of armed guards stood in a line leading to the vehicle in salute as a black sedan pulled up. Out of the car stepped Lorelei, a recovering Dr. Cid, and Issaru, another general. Lorelei stood outside the car for a moment as she adjusted her gloves and loving over one of the documents Lightning had stolen two years ago. Cid was carrying a large brief case, although his breathing was labored as he was still recovering from the broken ribs he had received when his prized specimen escaped. Issaru was glancing nervously around at the row of saluting soldiers. The three then walked toward the helicopter.

"Has the King signed off on this little plan of yours," Issaru yelled at Lorelei over the whirling chopper blades.

"No. This is a secret operation," explained Lorelei. "He has no reason to know about this mission."

"But surly a mission this large, with thirteen thousand men, numerous plans, surly this needs to be approved by the king, or even the consul of advisors first."

Lorelei stopped walking and turned around to look Issaru in the eye. "Are you questioning my ability to lead this operation?"

"No, no not at all, I just…"

"I am the one in control here!" Lorelei then walked forward again. "Don't ever question my ability and sanity as a general to lead this attack!"

"Ye, yes ma'am!"

The three continued to walk in silence as they entered the helicopter and took off.

This war, in Lorelei's mind, was about to change.

* * *

Lightning sat in the guest room, engrossed in a book that she had picked up from the apartment's study. It was about myths of the crystal and their power. She was obsessed now with trying to save Stella and Noctis from the crystal, but so far she was having no luck.

A small knock on the door caught her attention. She looked up to see Noctis.

"Hello Lightning," he said quietly. He then walked over to where Lightning was sitting.

"You're not going to kill me are you?" Lightning asked.

"No. I just wanted to ask if you'd accept an apology."

Lightning raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She placed the book she was reading down and stood up. "Apologize?"

Noctis shifted his eyes away from Lightning and moved his head to the side. "I treated you terribly a few days ago. I'm still struggling with what you did, and that my trust in you is still weak…but I want you to know that I'm willing to start over with you."

Lightning nodded her head. "Thank you."

Noctis continued to look away as Lightning added to her comment.

"I'm sorry for using you. I know that it must be hard for you to do this. So, if you don't trust me I understand." She softly smiled then, remembering how much she enjoyed Noctis. "So, um, how has your father been?"

"He's been busy."

"I bet," Lightning muttered. "Sorry for making this worse in that sense."

"Yeah," replied the prince. At least Lightning wasn't avoiding the truth.

Lightning began to feel uncomfortable. She began to fiddle with her fingers, being careful that she did not press the gravity switch. "You're really lucky to have Stella as a fiancé."

"How so?" he asked.

"Well, she seems so kind and motherly." Lightning's mouth formed a little smile as she recalled that she had never had a mother, or any recollection of her. "And, she really cares about you."

"She really does. I think she's the only person who understands me, in the sense of the crystal."

He looked up to see Lightning watching the sunset over Tenebrae. The awe and wonderment he had seen two years ago was gone.

"You've changed Lightning," he commented.

"Actually, I never changed," Lightning rebuked, turning back to Noctis. "I'm just not hiding or pretending to be someone that I'm not anymore."

At that point, Noctis walked over to Lightning to gaze out the window. Lightning loved seeing the sun again and was reveling in each color and dazzle that she saw. As the two were looking out, Stella cracked the door, thinking that Lightning was alone. Instead, she saw the prince with her.

For some reason, Lightning felt the urge to ask Noctis a question that had bothered her since she saw the engagement ring. Noctis, from what she saw, disliked his father. Unless he had changed too and learned to respect his father, he had accepted the marriage with no questions. It was bothering her for some time and the question just slipped out. "Do you love Stella?" Lightning asked, unaware that the princess was listening.

Noctis, without hesitation replied, "Yes."

"Did you ever have feelings for me?"

Stella was now engrossed in the situation, wondering what would happen next.

"I…I did" Noctis said back.

Lightning bowed her head. "So did I."

Stella hung her head. She always had a suspicion that Noctis liked Lightning, and this confirmed it. Her feeling wasn't angry or sad, it was more of the realization that her suspicions were true. Perhaps he should spend the rest of his time with her…

"I broke your heart, didn't I?" Lightning asked. She had a feeling though that she knew the answer.

Noctis mournfully replied, "I've never been the same since."

"Neither have I."

Stella could not listen to anymore of the conversation. Questions were racing through her mind about Noctis and his feelings with Lightning. What she wondered now was what would be best for Noctis.

* * *

Quinn arrived at the apartment to let Lightning know that she would be turned over to King Giovanni in a few days. It would be a few days before the king would see her. He opened the study expecting to spend some time in solitude, but instead saw the figure of Stella sitting on one of the couches.

"Are you alright Stella?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know." She then looked up at the assistant. "This whole Lightning and Noctis thing has my head spinning."

Quinn cocked an eyebrow. "Why are you worried about Lightning?"

"I think, no I know, Noctis has feelings for her."

The assistant took a seat beside the princess. "What makes you say that?"

"I overheard them talking and, I think that Noctis may enjoy Lightning more than me."

Quinn remained silent, allowing Stella to say what was on her mind.

"Lightning…there's something about her. Something that intrigues Noctis to no end."

"But, Stella, I think Noctis still cares for you."

"I'm sure he does. I know he does, but I don't think he was ever happy, truly happy, being with me." Stella then stared ahead out the windows of the apartment. "And frankly, with the little time he has left, I want him to be happy."

She then took of her engagement ring and held it in her fingers. "And if that means an end to the engagement, so be it then."

"Stella…"

"Please don't think I'm crazy. I really care about Noctis and right now, all I want is to see him happy. I think he's been bound to the rules of his father for too long."

"That's very selfless of you, princess."

Stella then turned around to face Quinn. "Could you do me a favor? Get me a list of the documents that Lightning stole from the government years ago. There is a document that I would like to see."


	28. Cries in the Night

**Author's Note: **This chapter was probably the hardest for me to write, but what is going to happen will change everything.

Thanks for the reviews from **Dawn, Sunflower Weilder, gagboy, .f.R.1.3.D.a, **and **sillyscenegurly.**

* * *

Eight hours later, Lorelei, Cid, and Issaru reached a secret base twenty miles outside of the target city. Waiting for them was about one-thousand heavily armed men. All of them wore glistening black body armor, with neon yellow markings on the shoulders, elbows, and thighs. They all wore black helmets adorned with glowing yellow eye holes, which stood out among the red and orange evening sky.

"The PSCICOM look wonderful Cid," Lorelei commented as she observed the group saluting her as she stepped out of the helicopter. Issaru had never seen the group before and was silently watching the men.

"Suits enhanced with the power of the crystal. Magnificent isn't it." A twisted smile formed on his worn face. "Faster speed, inhuman strength, and this is only with the watered down crystal powers."

"Cid," the general barked at the scientist, "would you just do what you came here to do and shut up."

The scientist stopped talking and opened the suitcase he was carrying. In it was a long barreled machine gun, which he handed to Lorelei, and a mustard yellow gem that was shaped like a dragon claw nail.

"Use this carefully," Cid told Lorelei. "If you over use it, the little friend in there will be useless."

"So what exactly are in these balls?" Issaru asked.

"They hold the purest essence and power of the crystal: the summoning power," Cid explained, passing the young man a look of annoyance.

Lorelei smirked, and turned to the group of soldiers. Her long blond hair followed her as she prepared to command the most important operation of her life.

"Tonight," she yelled at them, "Tenebrae shall fall to it knees!"

* * *

Lightning decided, after Noctis left, to continue reading the book about the crystals. She was making very little progress though, as most of the book was simple fairytales about princes and princess. What bothered her though is that not one of the dozens of kingdoms that had the crystal really gotten rid of the crystal. Every kingdom had simply passed it along to the next powerful empire.

A soft knock on the door interrupted her reading.

"Come in," she said.

The door opened to reveal Quinn.

"Hello Lightning," he spoke as he entered the room and closed the door. "I have seen you a few times previously, but I believe we have never had the pleasure of a proper introduction." He then extended his right hand and grasped Lightning's, "Quinn."

"It's a pleasure to meet you finally," Lightning replied.

"I just want to talk with you about what happened to you during the past two years to see what intelligence we can gather. Um, shall we begin?"

"Alright," Lightning spoke, as Quinn took a seat opposite her.

* * *

That evening, Stella received the order for the document she requested and wrote a note for her family. She had no idea why she was doing this, but she had a feeling that there would not be another chance for her to do this. She then dressed into a black skirt and top, with a white over-shirt and black boots. As the princess adjusted her hair, she noticed that her violet eyes were now almost entirely orange. She lamented at the fact that the crystal's power had almost overtaken her.

She then went to the Crystal Shrine to see Noctis.

* * *

Around eleven at night, Noctis had nearly fallen asleep guarding the crystal. The past few nights had been relatively quiet. This was either a blessing, or the calm before the storm. Silently, he wished that this silence was a sign that Algentia had given up.

His pondering was interrupted by the familiar sound of crackling glass.

"Stella?" he asked into the empty room.

"Noctis?" came a reply.

"Stella…is that you?"

"Yeah." She walked forward, so Noctis would not have to get up from the throne. As she approached the throne, Noctis noticed that she was fiddling with her diamond ring.

"What's wrong?" the prince asked. He sensed something was not right.

"Noctis, do you love me?"

The prince sighed. "Of course I do."

"Then what about Lightning?" she quickly replied.

"I…I don't know."

Stella looked down. "Look, if you like Lightning and are happier with her, I understand. Just tell me that you want to spend the rest of your life with her, and I will ask Giovanni to end the engagement."

"No," Noctis quickly replied.

"Why not?!"

"I couldn't do that to you."

"Noctis, I'm giving you a chance to leave me. I won't be mad at you. I just want you to be happy for the remainder of your life."

Noctis wanted to reply, but his ears picked up the faintest beeping sound.

"Noctis?" Stella said.

The prince then realized what the beeping was.

"GET DOWN!" he yelled. The prince then wrapped his arms around Stella and threw her to the ground, with her bellow him. As they landed, Stella screamed as the sound of breaking concrete and shards of glass flew around the room.

When Noctis sensed that that the explosion was done, he released the princess from his grip. The two coughed as the room filled with dust from the explosion. "Are you alright Stella?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied as the prince stood up and then helped her up. He then held her in a hug, his heart still racing from shock of the explosion.

Stella's gaze then turned toward the massive hole that appeared in the wall. Out of the dust came a series of yellow eyes led by a single figure with a long coat and a glowing mustard colored gem.

"Who are you?" Stella asked. The prince turned his face around to see what Stella was commenting on.

"Now now princess, is that how you greet all of your guests?" the figure replied, as she stepped into the room.

"Lorelei," muttered Noctis. He was now fully facing the intruder. He stood protectively in front of Stella, who looked like she was ready to pounce on the general.

"Oh I think you know what I want, your highnesses," Lorelei spoke. "I want the crystal."

"Over my dead body!" grunted Noctis. His eyes had changed color to a scarlet red.

"Oh, I can arrange that," the general replied. She then held the yellow claw crystal in her hand threw it to the ground. The claw shattered into a million fragments and a plume of smoke. Out of the cloud came a black beast. It looked like a great dragoon, with streaks of yellow scales, gold claws and chains dandling off the monster's ears and wings.

Noctis and Stella gasped at the beast.

"May I introduce your highnesses to Bahamut, a little present from your friend Lightning." Lorelei smiled for a moment. "Kill them," she ordered the beast.

"Noctis," Stella yelled, "go protect the crystal!" She then raised her right hand and summoned her rapier. "I'll deal with Lorelei."

"What about you?" Noctis yelled.

"You take care of the army!"

* * *

Lighting had now spent two hours with Quinn. The assistant had taken thorough notes the entire time. A few minutes earlier, he had handed Lightning the blue heart shaped crystal.

"Any idea what it is?" Quinn asked.

"No," Lightning replied. "All I know is that there are a few more of these things and that they came from me."

"What did the other's look like?"

Lightning was going to answer the question when she felt a powerful surge of energy.

"Noctis and Stella…" she spoke, her eyes wide.

"What?" Quinn asked in confusion.

"Something's not right..."

"They're fine," Quinn interrupted Lightning as he tried to calm her down. "There is absolutely nothing wrong. I am sure the two are just fine."

Just then a bright light filled the skyline followed by a roaring explosion.

Quinn was distracted and Lightning saw her opportunity to escape. She escaped Quinn's grasp and then ran to the story high window on the other side of the room, placing the gem inside one of her dress pockets.

"Time to jump" she whispered.

"HEY, HEY HEY!" Quinn screamed.

Lightning then shifted all of her weight against the glass. It shattered into bits of pieces. She then began to fall to the ground.

"LIGHTNING! WHAT THE HECK!" Quinn yelled as he stared dumbly at the broken pane of glass.

Adrian then walked into the guest room, and gabbed at the hole. "She jumped, didn't she?" Quinn's jaw hung on the floor as Adrian continued to talk. "I tell you what, she's one crazy b…"

"WE GOT TROUBLE GUYS!" Rex screamed. He had just gotten an SOS text from Stella. "Lorelei's here!"

The three then ran out of the building to aid Noctis and Stella.

* * *

Lightning slammed through the glass pane and began to fall to the ground. She narrowed her eyes and snapped her fingers. The blue gravity pulse encased her as she fell. As she neared the ground she righted her body and landed feet first.

She then looked around the area and saw a mob of civilians screaming and running away from the direction of the shrine. Feeling the adrenaline flowing through her, Lightning ran towards the shrine.

The sound of bullets firing caught her attention. A few blocks later, she saw two soldiers running down a street, punching a teenage boy. Since she didn't have a weapon, she decided to improvise and intervene.

"Hey you!" she screamed to the guards as she ran over to them.

That caught their attention.

She then kneed the nearest guard and then landed a well placed kick on the other's neck. They both fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Are you alright?" she then asked the boy, who simply nodded his head in fear. "Get going."

The boy immediately stood up and ran away.

"Thank you!" he yelled back at Lightning as he ran off into the night.

Lightning picked up one of the dropped guns on the ground. It was a new model she had never seen, but she would make do with it.

Another set of explosions echoed in the night, along with the inevitable screams and shouts. Lightning sighed and ran towards the ball of smoke that had erupted.

* * *

Noctis heard another blast go off inside the shrine and ran towards the sound. A dozen soldiers followed after him, but were thrown back by a crystal shield he formed around him. Yet as soon as he pushed back on one surge, another surge of troops came against him.

_I can't keep this up, _Noctis thought to himself.

Seeing no other options, he summoned the crystal weapons and began using them against the soldiers. Three remained around the prince, shielding him against the hail of bullets that here fired at him. The other swords flew around the room and attacked the soldiers. The sounds of broken bones and severed limbs filled the air.

But Noctis was noticing that though the first few soldiers were easily taken care of. Yet the next row seemed to easily dodge the attacks. Just then, one of the soldiers ran behind Noctis and hit the prince in the spine. His red eyes widened as he felt the power of the crystal vanish.

Instantly all of the crystal swords disappeared. Noctis fell to the ground.

Breathing heavily he looked up to see another hundred soldiers. This needed to end now.

Clenching his fists, his eyes began to glow a fiery red. Around him a million pieces of sharp crystals formed and began to spin around him. The shards spun faster and faster until Noctis appeared to be standing in the center of a tornado. The PSICOM solders fired at the maelstrom, but made no dent in the vortex.

Noctis then screamed and the shards spun out across the room, shattering the armor, causing blood to flow, bodies to fall, break bones, and silence the firing bullets. It was over in ten seconds.

And for four seconds after that, there was nothing but silence. It was broken by a piercing scream.

* * *

"Care to dance, princess?" Lorelei said as she mocked Stella.

"Please," the princess replied.

Before Lorelei could react, a sliver of purple mist spun around Stella and then flew across the room at the general. The light hit her like a stone wall and threw her outside the shrine. Her limp body rolled down the flight of outdoor steps. Stella then ran out of the room, jumping over a few bodies that were sprawled on the floor.

Lorelei picked her self up, feeling a bit of blood trickle down her nose. She grunted seeing the princess run down the steps at her. Thinking fast, she pulled out a broadsword she had kept on her belt. Jumping up, she threw a slash at the princess. Stella saw the sword and blocked the blow with her rapier.

The two then began to struggle, sword locked against sword.

"Don't play games with me," Lorelei grunted, her eyes wide with pleasure. "You're just a stupid little princess. How much do you really know?"

Stella only pushed her sword harder. "I know that you will loose."

The princess then released the pressure on her rapier, thinking she could cause Lorelei to fall. But the general was too experienced, and simply released her sword to the ground and landed an uppercut on the princess. Stella's jaw slammed into her skull, making a crack sound from the impact and she collapsed. Yet as she fell, another series of purple lights appeared in the form of ribbons and wrapped themselves round Lorelei's arms.

The general struggled against the pull of the strings, as Stella tried to readjust herself. As she stood up, the ribbons disappeared and a series of burning fire orbs appeared around her. The princess then pushed her hands forward and the orbs flew at Lorelei. The general swiftly dodged each ball, but the final one hit her in the chest which flung her further down the stairs.

Stella ran after the falling Lorelei, hoping to land a final blow on Lorelei. Out of nowhere, Bahamut landed behind the princess and swung a powerful swipe at her. Stella, screaming the whole time, was thrown to the side, away from Lorelei and the dragon.

The beast roared one more, before disappearing to a cloud of yellow mist.

She then walked over to Stella, who was struggling to get up. Scrapes covered her body and her rapier was a good thirty feet away from her.

When Lorelei reached the princess, she stood over her, holding the gun Cid had given her and smiled at the princess. "Well, any last words?"

Before Stella could respond, Lorelei was thrown to the ground be a powerful blow of energy.

"Stella!"

It was Noctis.

Stella smiled in relief as Noctis helped her up.

"Stella," Noctis whispered, relief in his voice.

The two embraced. They failed to notice that Lorelei stood up from the fall and turned the safety off of the gun she held. A small red laser pointer appeared and danced around the area, until it fond the back of the prince. Stella opened her eyes to see the dart and released Noctis from her embrace.

"Run Noct," she screamed as she started to push him to the ground.

Lorelei aimed and fired.

Noctis was thrown to the hard floor. Stella remained standing, her eyes wide with fear.

"Stella!" the prince screamed.

The area was the engulfed with a thick plume of smoke as a steam pipe bellow the street was ruptured by the bullet and blew into the air. Thirty seconds later, the smoke cleared, but Stella wasn't there.

A few more moments later, the outline of the princess' body appeared, lying on the ground.

Lorelei remained standing, a high powered barrel gun in her hand.

"I'll have to give my thanks to Doctor Cid for such a wonderful weapon," Lorelei commented, a smile on her face

A scream came from behind the general as Lightning ran towards Lorelei, a thick strand of rose colored light suspended around her. With her index and middle fingers, she made a slash motion in the air and the wave of energy followed. It hit Lorelei on the chest, throwing her to the ground.

She then unleashed a furry of blasts on Lorelei. "YOU MONSTER!" she screamed. Lightning continued to wail Lorelei with slash after slash. Finally, a group of PSICOMs took notice and threw Lightning about twenty yards away from the general.

Noctis ignored the wave of fresh PSICOM soldiers rushing into the Crystal Shrine, or the fact that Lightning was now fighting the soldiers. All he cared about was Stella. He ran to her, fell to the ground and hugged her body close to him. A pool of scarlet blood had formed at the base of her back.

"Stella…STELLA!" Noctis was shaking the princess, trying to get a response. Something, anything.

Rather than the shocking orange eyes that were seen earlier that night, clear violet eyes filled with compassion looked up at Noctis.

"Are…are you crying…for…me" Stella asked, her breathing labored and pained.

"Stella, you're going to be okay, I'll get help, you'll be fine…"

The princess ignored what Noctis was saying. "Noct…Etro is calling me…"

"No, NO, you can't leave me Stella. Don't leave me alone!"

"Noct…you will never…be alone…I'll…always…"

"NO, don't say good-bye! Don't leave me!"

"I'm sorry…"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" Tears were pouring down the prince's face.

"It's my…time…Noct…" A sliver of blood trickled out of the princess's mouth. "I lo…love you…Noctis." At that Stella's eyes lost their vision and focus, and a final breath escaped her lips.

Noctis' eyes went wide with terror. Tears began to fall.

The prince gripped her body, trying to wish her to return. But she was gone.

For all her faults and his indifference to her, Stella was the only one who understood what was happening to him. United by the crystal, and bound by the same curse. But the prince remained here, holding the prince's lifeless body.

He continued to stare blankly onto the street. His body too numb to feel the pounding rainstorm that started to fall across the city. Too occupied to see Adrian and Rex rush over to him and try and drag him away. He was too terrified to see a raging Lightning throw blow after blow of energy at the running PSICOM army.

It was all too much.

Lightning continued to fight against the guards. At some point, a stray bullet flew toward Lightning. It hit her pocket and she felt something breaking within it. She reached into the pocket and pulled out a piece of the blue heart crystal she had kept in it. A blue mist surrounded her and soon the figure of a woman with floor length blue braided hair, purple skin, and light colored tattoo markings. As the being opened her yellow eyes, bits of snow appeared out of the muggy night air. Lightning shivered as she felt the temperature drop around her.

The sight caused the soldiers who were charging at Lightning to stop and stare at the being. A few seconds later, the being spread her arms apart and produced a series of ice shards and cold air and threw it at the men. Instantly they were frozen and any remaining soldiers were forced to retreat. She then cast more ice spells towards the place where the Algentian army had entered the city.

The being the looked at Lightning and gave her a comforting nod. "If you need me again, I will be there for you," she told Lightning. The blue mist then appeared again and the being disappeared and the heart crystal reformed in Lightning's hand.

Lightning barely had a moment to wonder about the being when she heard a scream from Quinn. "LIGHTNING MOVE!" She turned to see a series of Tenebrae reinforcement soldiers run down the street. Lightning ran off to the side and over to Quinn.

"What happened?" she yelled at him, her voice raspy and sore from screaming and fighting.

"Ste…Stella's," Quinn spoke, his own voice breaking. He removed his silver glasses and looked at Lightning. "She's dead."

"What?" Lightning cried in a whispering disbelief. "No, no no no." Tears fell down her face. She then collapsed to the ground.

"No! NO!" she said to herself.

Quinn silently cried as he watched Lightning. Her cries were downed out the sounds of machine guns and footsteps.

* * *

**Author's Note: **STELLA NO! OH MY GOSH, I KILLED STELLA! I'M A JERK!

I sometimes wonder if it's a requirement in all of my fics to have at least one character kick the bucket. Also, am I the first person to kill Stella in a dramatic fashion? It's sad because I really like this story's Stella and I hope that she is actually like this in the game. However, this was the only way I could see for the story to work, so I apologize to all the Stella fans out there. Yet I promise her death will not be in vain.


	29. New Beginings

**Author's Note: **Wow, I am floored by the number of comments you guys sent in saying how much you liked Stella, even a few of you hardcore Noctis/Lightning guys. I am so happy about that and I hope that more of you guys write Stella in a way that does not make her seem like a Mary Sue or a bumbling fool. She can be a neat character and I am sure as more information is revealed about her, we'll get an even better sense of who she is.

Also, the updates from me might begin to ground to a hault in late August. I'm heading back to school and it is a demanding year for me, but I promise to finish the story.

But enough mumbling from me, thanks for the all the reviews from **Yuki, LeRouge The Rouge, Dawn, Sunflower Weilder, gagboy, TutuandJo, Fefisgbf13, .f.R.1.3.D.a, **and **sillyscenegurly.**

* * *

In the forest of Machalania, the weather was clear. The sun was beginning to rise.

Snow had decided to go for a morning run. He stepped outside of his tent, letting the chill of the morning spring. The leader let the fresh air fill his lungs, as he stretched his arms.

Looking around, he then noticed there was some standing by the lake. He wondered who was out this early in the morning. Walking nearer, he realized the mystery person was Vanille. He had misidentified her without her trademark pigtails. In one hand was her white and gold detailed staff.

Of all the members of NORA, she was by far the one who was most in tune with the natural forces of the world, especially the crystal.

"Vanille!" he yelled.

The girl turned to face Snow. "Hi." Her greeting was not as happy or enthusiastic as usual.

Snow finally stopped beside the young woman.

"What's up?"

"I just have a weird feeling. Like the balance of the world has shifted," she responded.

Snow looked down at her, with a confused look on his face. "Why?"

"Something happened last night," she paused for a moment to look Snow in the eye, "that I think might change everything."

* * *

Lorelei slowly cracked her eyes. All she could hear was blowing white noise and the beeping so a few machines. Her head was screaming in pain, and her whole upper body felt numb with pain. Attacked to her nose was a breathing tube, force feeding her oxygen.

"Ah, welcome back general," came a voice.

The woman shifted her eyes to see Trion. He had a disapproving look on his face. Behind him was a beaming Dr. Cid.

"Wh…where am I," she asked.

"You're back in Algentia," was the response from Trion. "What happened three days ago, will be discussed with the military tribunal."

Lorelei tried to respond, but she was too weak to speak. There was a sense of confusion painted in her eyes.

"Around six hundred Tenebrae soldiers have been killed or wounded, eight hundred Algentian losses, and Princess Stella Fluret is dead. Your actions are going to be tried for punishment and removal of your title." The king then turned and left the room. "You seem to forget that I am the one who is in control of this kingdom," he added.

When he left, Lorelei silently grunted. Her light green eyes were enraged and disgusted.

"If it is any consolation general," Cid said as he pulled out a glass box, "the crystal is ours. We now have the upper hand. But right now, you need your rest general; that fool Lightning gave you quite a beating."

Cid then took a needle with a narcotic fluid in it and injected the drug into Lorelei's exposed arm. Before slipping into unconsciousness, Lorelei muttered under her breath, "I'll kill…them." Her eyes once again closed, and an induced sleep overcame her.

* * *

Five days had passed since Stella had been murdered; she was finally laid to rest. It seemed like even Mother Nature was morning Stella's death. It was pouring rain on the morning of the funeral. Her family had decided to have a private ceremony at their estate. A few hundred guests were gathered in the back gardens of the Fluret's. On the road leading to the palace were some ten thousand other mourners.

Lightning was still wanted for stealing government secrets and attempting to steal the crystal but she was determined to attend. Quinn came up with the idea of her staying with Rex and Adrian and wearing a long black veiled hat. She had gone so far as to trim her hair to its recognizable length and tucked it a bun underneath the veil. With all those precautions, she looked like a faceless mourner in a sea of grievers.

For the funeral, Rex and Adrian had dressed in black tuxes. Quinn wore similar attire, although he had volunteered to be a driver for Noctis. He was lucky in the sense that he had a dry place.

Around eleven in the morning, the hearse carrying the late princess's body had arrived at the estate. The coffin was draped with two flags, one of the Fluret family seal and the second of the Caelum kingdom. On top of those flags was a simple boquet of lilies, Stella's favorite.

A few more cars arrived moments later. The first to exit was Stella's mother and father. They were then followed by King Giovanni, and Prince Noctis. Lightning shivered when she saw Giovanni again. Even after all these years, she was still terrified by his presence. As for Noctis, she had never seen him so sad before. He looked as though he had been crying nonstop for the past few days. The prince, at one point, looked inconspicuously at Adrian and Rex, just to see if Lightning was alright. Yet all of his attention, it seemed, was poured into grieving for Stella.

As the coffin walked past, Lightning's body shivered.

"Are you alright?" whispered Rex to Lightning.

"No. It's not alright." A few tears fell down her face. "I just…"

Adrian noticed the tears and wrapped his arms around her. At that instant, Lightning started to cry.

"She didn't deserve this," Lightning muttered through her sobs. She had lost a friend who had cared for her more than anyone else. It seemed that no matter how many times she messed up, Stella was there with a smile on her face. Stella was perhaps the only person who cared more for others than herself, and what she did spoke volumes.

Lightning remained in Adrian's arms as the coffin moved inside the estate for the ceremony.

"Hey Lightning," Adrian whispered to her. "You should probably say your goodbyes now."

At that, Lighting broke the hug and focused all of her attention on the coffin as it entered the estate. Following close behind the coffin were the Caelums. "Good bye Stella," Lightning said under her breath. "Thank you for being my friend."

The entrance then closed and Rex and Adrian took Lightning back to the prince's apartment.

* * *

After the funeral, Noctis received two gifts from the Fleuret family: Stella's rapier, and her diamond engagement ring. The weapon's golden hilt had been cleaned and polished the point where the princess's smell was nonexistent on it. The sheen showed no scratches or dents. It was perfect.

The ring, however, had signs of its use. A few indents had been made on its inner surface. Stella had played with the ring, like a little bobble. But at least she always wore it. Now, it was all that remained of her.

When he returned a little after two from the funeral, teary eyed and exhausted, the first thing he did was take a little silver chain he had kept from his mother and placed the ring on the linked metal necklace. He then placed it around his neck, noting how the diamond's reflection shimmered in the light.

The prince then walked over to the vanity mirror in the master suite. His eyes were fully cloaked in a scarlet color. He sighed. It would not be long before Etro would call him to return to her. In a way, there was nothing left for him. No one else understood his pain of the curse.

Out of silence of his thoughts, came a soft sobbing sound.

He followed the sound, until he arrived at the guest room. The door was slightly ajar, so he peered inside. Sitting on one of the apartment chairs was the huddled form of Lightning. She had removed her hat and let her hair down. Silent tears were falling down her face. Guilt burdened her mind.

_I did this. I'm the one who killed Stella. I'm the one who allowed Lorelei to get the crystal. I'm the one who destroyed Noctis._

Noctis then opened the door and entered. Lightning made no notice of the prince's arrival. Quietly he stood across from her and gently shook her shoulder.

Lightning immediately pooped her head up. A few newly formed tears had just started to fall down her face. After a few seconds, Lighting got up from her chair looked at Noctis.

"I'm so sorry Noctis," she said to him, drying her eyes with a wipe of her hand. "I feel like I'm the one who's responsible for Stella's death."

"You're not," Noctis responded. He the walked over to the window next to the one Lightning had broken. It was now covered with a blue tarp. The rain that was present at the funeral was still falling, obscuring the view of Tenebrae. Lightning walked over and stood next to the prince.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I don't have much time left," he replied. "I think I just spend the rest of my time here in Tenebrae."

Lightning turned to look at the prince, disbelief in her eyes. "You're not going to fight this?"

"How can I? The crystal is gone and my life is slipping away before my eyes." He paused then. "It won't be long before I'm in Stella's place."

Lightning looked at Noctis in disbelief. "So you're doing nothing about the problem then?!"

"Lightning! What options are left? Besides, I can't even defend my kingdom anymore." He then looked down at his opened hands. "Etro will call me at some point in the near future."

Lighting looked on as she muttered, "Well, I plan to do something about it. Far as I can see, there is only one way that we can end this war."

Noctis looked over at Lightning. She then looked back, with eyes of pure determination and strength.

"Destroy the crystal."

Noctis turned white. "You…you can't…"

"What other options do we have Noctis? Stella's dead. You'll be dead soon as well. And Lorelei is not going to keep the crystal hidden. You know she'll use it against Tenebrae."

Her tone shifted as she added, "If the crystal remains in Algentia, then the war is over. Tenebrae, your kingdom will end."

"But…how are we even going to do that?" the prince asked.

"We'll go to Algentia and destroy it there."

"You mean walk into a death trap?"

"That's a risk we'll have to take."

Out of nowhere, the sound of footsteps filled the room.

"And if you're going to Algentia, we're coming too!" said Adrian. Rex and Quinn were behind him.

"You realize I might die?" Noctis said.

"Well, why die standing around when you can die fighting!" Rex replied.

"And there's no way your not leaving without me," Quinn added.

"Guys," Noctis spoke, his voice full of exasperation, "I don't want to do this."

"Do it for Stella then," Lightning said.

Noctis stopped. His gaze shifted as he thought about the idea of traveling to Algentia. It would be dangerous, but Lightning and the other's were capable fighters. And if he was indeed the prince of Tenebrae, he was obligated to do whatever it took to protect his people.

"I'll go," he finally said.

Lightning nodded before adding, "I'll need my gunblade."


	30. Drones of Night

**Author's Note: **I appolgize for taking so long in updating. Blame my new boyfriends: Plato, Descatres, Newton, Pascal, and Dante. They've kinda taken over my life and have left me with little time to write.

Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed, favored, and subscribed to Song of the Moonlight during the absence. I really appreciate your kind words and favors. You make me feel special. And now, here's your fanfic.

Special thanks to Dawn who made an awesome trailer for the story. You can check it out on her youtube profile, DawnFallingAngel.

* * *

Noctis lay in bed. It was around midnight, but he could not sleep. A week and a half had passed since Stella was murdered and only a few days ago did Lightning say she wanted to destroy the crystal. His checks were still damp from tears that she had cried. He had tried, heaven knew she tried, to sleep but failed each time. And even if he did, the same dream haunted him. Noctis would find himself under an enormous green aqua tidal wave, tossed and pulled by the forces of the water. He would kick and scream, but no rescue ever came. No one cared out the prince.

For the first time in his life, the prince realized how insignificant he was in the grand scheme of the world.

All he could really do was glance at the ceiling, or play with the glittering ring that was chained around his neck. Even in the darkness, the sparkling diamond reflected light across the room. No matter where he looked, he saw memories, hints, glimmers of the fallen princess. Her smell still lingered in the apartment's bedding, her notes and books were scattered on the desks. Her rapier sat on a chair, right next to Noctis' weapon. She was still there.

Feeling more tears come, Noctis turned over and buried his head in his pillow. He had been holding his emotions in for his father and Stella's family. He was terrified that if he did cry or show emotions, it would weaken his resolve and that of Tenebrae. Noctis was still a prince, and he needed to put on the greatest front possible. But for him, even his own strength and will was weaning.

'I'm sorry Stella,' was all he could say. 'I'm so sorry. I need you now.'

He almost wished he could turn over and see her face. But really, all that was there would be air and cold sheets.

* * *

The scene in Lightning's room was completely different.

She had made it her new goal to find the crystal and destroy it, even if it killed her.

At the moment, she was doing a few punches in the air with an invisible opponent. When ever she wanted to hit someone, or get out some pent up rage, all she had to do was imagine Lorelei's smug face. That alone made her skin shiver and pushed her further to getting pay back.

She, Quinn, Adrian, Rex, and Noctis would be leaving soon, in a few hours to be exact, and any little bit of strength and will-power was needed. They were still unsure of the details, which scared Lightning, but she trusted Quinn and his brain to know everything would be alright.

On the bed lay her gunblade and its leather satchel. By some miracle, the weapon was intact and in perfect condition. Lightning had missed the weapon. It was her third arm and she was thrilled to have it back.

Beside that were the two crystals. The blue heart one had apparently housed a being named Shiva, Quinn explained. Or at least, that's what the myths he had read about referred to the creature as. The rose's creature was still a mystery. However, she had felt the aurora of a great storm when ever she held the crystal for too long.

Her experience from the military and spy field had taught her to wear clothing that would be comfortable and also functional. This reflected in her choice: a long sleeved shirt with a black and white frontal detail, a black loose shirt that had a brown layer of cloth underneath it, a silver chest plate with orange details, and brown boots that had purple fronts that were wrapped in layers of cream colored strips of cloth. Over all of this was a short sleeved, high collard scarlet vest with a long tailed back. The clothes had originally belonged to Stella, so she was a little apprehensive about wearing them, but Quinn had assured her that it would be fine if Lightning wore them.

"It's highly unlikely that she would kill you if you wore her clothing," he had told her.

Oddly, Stella's sent remained on the clothes. Perhaps that was her excuse in exercising this late: covering the remains of flowers and perfume with sweat and Lightning's tears.

After a round of solid punches and uppercuts, she stopped and made a firm stance. "I couldn't help you Stella," she whispered under her breath, "but I'll do what ever it takes to help Noctis.

"I swear it."

* * *

Lorelei had just been released from the army hospital and was being escorted to the palace of Trion.

She frowned as she gazed out the window of her escort car. The past few days had been terrible. She had learned from Dr. Cid that the recent round of PSICOM soldiers had rejected the crystal treatment from Tenebrae's stone and somehow eighty percent of the group had died of insanity. The synthetic crystals had been more forgiving to the human body, but the full potential of the enhanced soldiers had to be realized with the true crystal.

The general's escapade in obtaining the crystal had also been highly criticized. In a few weeks, she would stand before the Algentian high council and likely loose her rank and seat of power. Apparently, the old fools in the council were more scared of the unfortunate death of Princess Fluret than the success of the crystal she had obtained.

Trion had refused to talk to Lorelei. Perhaps he was more like his father than the general had expected. Then again, he was always a day late and a gil short in terms of planning and preparation. The king would probably banish her and Dr. Cid from Algentia for treason. Didn't that idiot know she was doing this for the state. She was a patriot, through and through. Algentia, in Lorelei's mind, was the only meaning kingdom on this meaningless planet.

Algentia deserved only the best. _She _deserved the best.

The general closed her eyes. The sands of time were sifting and she would have to move fast if her fate was to become a realization.

And no one, not some failure of a king or a whinny council would stand in her way.

* * *

_A strong, dead wind was blowing around him. Snow clenched his fists together, trying to see beyond the flying sand and cruel wind. _

_After a few moments, he saw a figure. As he neared the person, he realized it was a girl, with a single pigtail slung to one side of her head._

_"Sis!" he yelled._

_The girl somehow heard him over the crying storm and turned in his direction. The girl's face had streams of tears on it, but a serene smile that belonged to an adult rather than a child. In her hand was a small purple flower that she was fiddling with._

_Snow neared the girl, standing a few feet away from her. He reached his arms out, motioning for her to come to him._

_But the girl responded by shaking her head and began walking away from Snow._

_"Why weren't you there?" she muttered._

_Snow tried to reply but his throat was dry and the words refused to form. "I…I…"_

_"Sorry Snow."_

_Without warning, the figure disappeared, leaving a scene of a burning village and voices of agony and fear._

_Snow screamed._

"SIS!"

The large blond then pushed himself upright. Eyes nervously darted around the room, trying to regain his bearings. Amongst his heavy and labored breaths was a firm, steady hand on his shoulder.

Snow turned and realized that a tired looking but concerned Sazh was sitting beside him. Behind the man was the form of a scared Hope.

"You were screaming," Sazh explained. "Hope came to me. Are you alright?"

"Ye, yeah," Snow replied. "Just had a bad dream." He then looked into Hope's scared eyes as if to say that he was indeed fine.

"Same one?"

Snow nodded his head.

Hope's face was painted with confusion. Yet he said nothing.

Sazh continued to rub Snow's broad shoulders. "You know," he began, "if you admit that the past is the past, you'll be better off."

Snow looked into his kind eyes, wise beyond his years. He didn't say anything because he knew that Sazh already understood everything.

"Rest well Snow."

With that, the blond placed his head on his pillow and easily drifted off to sleep.

Hope quietly walked with Sazh out of Snow's tent.

"Is he alright," he asked.

The older man sighed. "Snow's fine. He lost his sister many years ago and he never got over the notion that he was the one who failed her."

"But, doesn't he know he's not to blame?"

Sazh chuckled. "Your right. But he needs to learn that himself."

Hope thought about that. "I…I guess even adults have trouble with things."

"You're right Hope. You're right."

The older man than patted his companion on the head. "Don't loose that innocence Hope."

"I don't understand?"

"You will…in time."

* * *

At 3: 35 AM, Lightning walked into the apartment's main hall. She was fully dressed and armed. Rex and Adrian were also there, each carrying some sort of automatic weapon and about three suitcases full of ammo rounds and camping supplies. All of their cell phones, GPS systems, and music players had been thrown into the trashcans. If they were going to Algentia, no one had to know where they were. Instead, they would use maps and compasses for direction. Lightning remembered her training as a cadet: being thrown out into the wilderness for a few days, living in the wild with no outside communication, no technology, it was like training camp allover again.

"You ready?" asked Adrian, who appeared to still be waking up.

"Yeah," Lightning replied in a quick manner.

Rex was about to say something when Noctis and Quinn appeared in the hall. The assistant had even more equipment in two bags which he was carrying. Noctis didn't have any bags, but his sword and Stella's were secured around his waist. The prince's red colored eyes were clearly visible in the darkened hall.

"Everything here?" Quinn asked.

Everyone else responded with a nod of approval.

"Alright, we're going to drive out as far into the Calm Lands as we can and then ditch the car. From there, we'll walk the rest of the way."

The blond started walking down the hall. Everyone else followed in stride.

"I decided it's best if we all use pseudonyms, at least for Noctis. Noct is now 'Storm'," which Noctis responded with a huff.

Lighting shut her eyes in a wincing motion. "Sorry Noct."

The prince was too tired at the moment to care, but he agreed with Lightning that the name was weird.

"And until we leave the city limits of Tenebrae," Quinn continued, "Lightning will have a seat in the trunk."

The group had now reached the elevator leading from the apartment floor to the parking garage.

"I hope you don't mind tight spaces Light," Rex said to the girl.

As the elevator doors shut, Lightning replied sarcastically, "Oh, I just love tiny places."

A few minutes later, the group reached the escape car and prepared to leave. Quinn would drive, with Adrian in the front passenger seat, Rex and Storm would occupy the backseat, and Lightning squirmed herself into the trunk, surrounded by the bags of supplies, tents, blankets, and weaponry. Before closing the trunk, Quinn reached into his pocket and pulled out a little stress ball and handed it to Lightning.

"Just so you can do something with your hands."

Lightning just held it and stared blankly back at him, amused by the little toy. Noctis looked back at her, unsure of what to say. "I'll be fine Noct," Lightning said. "There's air in here." The expression remained on her face as he shut the trunk and Lightning prepared to take a nice nap.

"All set everyone?" Quinn then asked the rest of the group as they got into the car, buckled themselves to the seats, and left the garage in the car. The streets were dead quite, no one noticing the departing vehicle.

As they took the exit to the Calm Lands, Noctis turned to see the slowly brightening city skyline that was his home and kingdom. Unsure he would ever see his home again, he murmured under his breath, "Goodbye, Tenebrae."

With that, he returned to looking at the empty road ahead of them.


	31. An Ode to Camping and Working

**Author's Note: **School really does suck the life out of you. Sorry again about the slow updates. However, this month is write a novel month, and I'm trying to do something about the updates. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and comments. It means allot to me that so many of you are enjoying this story.

Also, the song that Snow plays is _The Butterfly, _an old Irish tune.

Though I'm not going to reveal anything yet, the next few chapters are going to be crazy. I've been waiting to write these for some time. Well, enjoy this guys.

* * *

Adrian let out an annoyed and rather large sigh. "Hey Quinn, how long have we been walking?"

Quinn frowned and looked at his watch. "Since nine o'clock this morning, so about five hours now." The group had ditched the getaway vehicle off the road in a series of brushes and had been walking ever since down a stretch of dirt track roads in the middle of the deserted Calm Lands. And since the start of the trip, Adrian had been complaining.

"Are we there yet?"

Everyone else replied with an obvious, "No."

"Gah. Hey Lightning, any idea where we are?"

"Why are you asking me," she replied.

"You did escape from Algentia, and you ended up in that abandoned church."

"Actually, I sort of teleported there."

For the first time all day, Adrian stopped in his tracks. "You WHAT?"

"I haven't been able to do it since, but yeah, I teleported." Lightning continued walking with the others, a serious expression on her face.

"Why are you so shocked Adrian," asked Rex, who had now taken a traveling spot next to Lightning. "N…Storm teleports all the time, so what's so different about Lightning having the same abilities."

"It's just weird, that's all," Adrian yelled back. He then realized he was lagging behind the group and started sprinting back to the huddle.

"It's alright Rex," Lightning said. "He's just shocked because I'm a girl."

"I AM NOT!"

At that point, Rex burst into laughter. Quinn and Noctis were not amused by the joke and just ignored the whole affair as they walked.

"Did you gat a cover-story for my absence," the prince asked.

Quinn pushed his silver glassed up the bridge of his nose. "Yes. I told him you were going to the summer palace in the east for a week, just to get out of the city and have some privacy. That should be good enough for a day or two. By then, we'll be far enough from Tenebrae's borders."

"Thanks Quinn. That means a lot."

When he had finished, Quinn placed a firm hand on the prince's back. The assistant and friend then leaned his head to Noctis' ear. "Listen, what we're doing, I know its dangerous, but the truth is that Rex, Adrian, and myself care about you, and will stand with you until the end."

The prince nodded his head. "And Lightning?"

"To be honest, I still have my concerns about her being cursed and her connections with the enemy. She has to prove herself to be trust worthy in my eyes, if you'll pardon my words."

"No, I understand. But," Noctis then turned his head around to look at the other three members of the group, "if Stella trusted her, I have to at least give Lightning a chance."

* * *

"Patent number 4567 has just received an injection of 15.0015% pure crystal. Stats seem to be stable…eyes are a normal color…blood pressure is, nominal…heart is…Crap! Not again!" Dr. Cid screamed as dropped his tape recorder and grabbed a syringe full of a clear fluid and attempted to inject it into his patient's chest.

The newest test subject for the crystal injections had begun shaking uncontrollably on the operating gurney. His back arched and rocked, seizing back and forth. The heart rate skyrocketed, screaming for attention.

And then, a second later, there was nothing. The body stopped moving and a steady stream of a blue alien substance flowed out of his nose. Another failure and more paper work for the doctor.

Frustrated, Cid pushed a small table with surgical instruments over. The tools fell to the floor in a series of clangs and clatters. He began to curse and mutter under his breath.

From the surgery room's viewing room, General Lorelei saw the whole series of events. Her lips were pressed in a frown. She had assumed that creating the newest batch of pure crystal enhanced soldiers would be easy to obtain. There had been no problems using the pseudo crystals harvested from the cursed spy. But this, this was of a completely different beast. And unfortunately, her available time as an officially recognized general was running out.

New plans would have to be made. And Trion…would have to be dealt with sooner than she had thought. He was a good pawn, like Lightning, but he had outgrown his usefulness.

Lorelei's inner plots were interrupted by a soft tapping on the observation room's door. "Enter," she replied in a monotone voice.

The door opened and a young man from the intelligence department stepped into the room. In his hand was a large yellow envelope. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think you'll find this interesting." He then handed the object to Lorelei, who ravenously ripped the covering off and pulled out a piece of paper. Her eyes scanned the information. Halfway through the reading, her mouth slightly opened and her light green eyes widened a fraction.

"His Royal Highness Prince Noctis is missing?"

Perhaps things were looking up after all.

"Officer, send the PSICOMs into the main roads leading from Tenebrae in the western center of the continent. Search between the edges of Ivalice and the areas surrounding Algentia's border. He's coming to take the crystal back. If my little test pet is with him, have her and the prince brought to me. Any one else you find with them, interrogate them when they arrive in Algentia and then dispose of them."

* * *

Another two hours passed of more Adrian groans before the group decided to stop for the night. This meant more walking, as they needed a camping spot away from the roads. So they traveled into an off-road wood, which Quinn had said was known as the Misty Woods, according to the maps he had brought with him.

The woods had a charm that Lightning delighted in. Trees, some hundreds of years old, surrounded her. Everything had a place, an order, a beginning that she had lacked. There was a sense of history and the past. She had even taken the liberty and run ahead of the boys and was jumping over the fallen trunks and unburied roots. It was away that she, for just a moment in time, be Lightning and not have to worry about the burden of the crystal, or the guys, or what would happen if they failed. Lightning was herself.

At a certain point, she stopped running and let the other catch up to her. The place she was in was a bare patch of ground, with a few smaller trees around. When the boys had arrived, she turned to them, a tiny smile on her face. "We'll stop here."

"Finally," yelled Adrian. He then proceeded to drop to the ground and stretch out. The rest seemed a little ticked with Adrian's laziness and Rex gave his friend a gentle, but firm kick to the head.

"You know we still have to set up camp," Rex said.

"I don't care what you say," Lightning said, "I need my own tent, away from you guys"

Adrian squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of the previous statement. "Why?"

"I'm a girl. And I have girl needs."

"So?"

Lightning replied with a glare that said "are-you-really-that-stupid-and-I-need-to-set-you-strait-with-a-good-slap-to-the-head!"

"Oh come-on Light," said Rex as he pulled out two extra sized tarps and handed them to Quinn. "You'll be warmer if we spread out between the two tents rather than squishing all the guys in one and leaving you in another."

At that, Lightning hung her head in made eye contact with the ground. "Um…well…I'll be fine."

"You're hiding something, aren't you?" Noctis retorted, as he and Quinn moved to spread the first tarp on the ground.

"I'm not! It's just that girls are different from boys. And girls need some space."

"Wait," Adrian said as he finally got up off the ground, "chick's don't need space."

Lightning's eyes and face became enraged. "Say that one more time," she grunted through clenched teeth.

Rex, the prince, and even Quinn were all making gestures at Adrian to take Lightning's hint and shut up. But their friend continued. "You're a chick, which makes you half a guy."

Within two seconds, Lightning ran over to Adrian and with a mighty swing, she gave him a fast, hard slap to the face. Her victim let out a shocked cry and fell back to the forest floor.

"Sorry," Lightning said as she extended a hand to help Adrian up, "you honestly deserved that."

"You really did," Rex added.

"I'm a girl, and unless you want more hits, give me my own tent."

Adrian replied, "Fine". He then returned to rubbing his check.

* * *

Once again, Snow was too wired to fall asleep. It was his fault too. He had one to many cups of coffee, but the news from the Algentian wire had been bad. Nora's 'favorite' general Lorelei had been up to something. The PSICOMs were repositioning and regrouping for the past day.

Maqui, the poor guy, had spent a much of the past two days sitting at his computer, hacking and searching through the scant amount of Algentian army data he could find. Until Snow knew exactly where the PSICOMs were going, he was not going to sleep.

So to pass the time, he pulled out his violin, and started playing.

_Do Mi So Mi Fa, Do Mi So Mi Fa-mi-re, Do Mi So Mi Fa._

The notes calmed him in a way. It was the melody, the way the notes came into being with each stroke of the bow. Snow reveled in every moment.

But just as he was about to play another round, a very obvious _Kwew_sound interrupted his playing. He immediately stopped and turned to his tent's entrance. In the fading light of the evening, the ball of downy feathers known as Hina was bopping about, making little sounds and tweets. Behind her was Larsus.

"What's up?" Snow said.

"We've got trouble," Larsus replied in a hurried manner.

Snow frowned. That was not a good sign. His responsibilities as the leader of Nora kicked in. Gently, he placed the violin on his cot and walked to the entrance. Before he left, he lowered his hand to let Hina take a ride back to Sazh.

"The PSICOM's are moving eastward, toward Ivalice and the Tenebrae," Larsus began, in a voice that was focused only on the facts, "Unfortunately, Machalania is right in the middle of their path."

"How fast are they moving?"

"About a ten mile radius every three hours. They'll be here in two days."

Snow nodded his head. The woods were safe at least from minor patrols, but a whole part of the army was out there. "Tell all civilians to evacuate to the east. Keep the Dream Team here and we'll head west."

"Why do that?" Larsus questioned.

"If I've learned anything about Algentia, they love to keep prisoners and get more bodies for their army. They're going to start using the southern rail-way again."

The rail system had been built years ago, after Algentia had gained massive amounts of territory around Ivalice. Their purpose was to send prisoners of war, injured soldiers, supplies, and civilians directly into the heart of Algentia. It was where most of the captured souls were taken to. The trains had been silent for some time, but in years past, Team Nora a few other resistance groups had hindered operations on the rails.

It seemed, to Snow, that the only option to really damage Algentia was to put those plans into motion again

"Understood," Larsus said. "I'll meet you back here in an hour."

Snow, carefully but Hina in his pocket, and then ran towards the end of the campsite. The trick to stopping the trains was to locate the rails, which were well hidden, by getting live bait on the train. This time around, two bodies were needed; specifically, two people who were not registered in the Algentian identification system.

By the time he reached the right tent, the word of the move had gotten around. Snow didn't bother to knock and simply burst into the tent.

"Vanille!"

A tired looking Vanille rubbed her eyes. "What's wrong Snow? Why's everyone awake?"

"I'm gonna need you and Hope for something."

* * *

Night had fallen in the forest where the prince and company had camped. It was decided earlier that one person would stand as watch-dog for five hours during the night. Lightning agreed to take the first shift and Rex took the second.

Though everyone else managed to pass out, Noctis had trouble. His dreams were still plagued with nightmares. Unable to sleep, Noctis squirmed his way out of his sleeping bag.

Upon leaving the makeshift tent, the cold air hit him. He let out a gasp realizing that it was a manageable temperature. He would have to get used to this idea of camping in the wild.

"You can't sleep either," came the voice of Lightning. Noctis shuddered and looked toward the medium sized fire that was now the only light in the forest. To the side, he could see the barely visible features of Lightning.

"Can I call you Noct?" she asked.

The prince looked at her, wanting an explanation.

"Sorry. I think Storm is a stupid name."

Noctis chuckled a little. "Sure, I don't mind." He then moved to sit next to Lightning on the ground, realizing that the fire temperature was quite pleasant. Once he was comfortable, the two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You have Stella's ring, don't you," spoke Lightning. "I…I've seen you fiddling with it."

The prince bowed his head, ashamed. He had tried to hide the ring from Lightning, but it had apparently failed.

"You can't just keep thinking about the past, Noct. If you keep focusing on what's happened, how can you prepare yourself for what will come next?"

"I know," he replied. "But…what can I do? It's not like I'm going to get over with this and move on. She died, right in my arms."

Lightning saw the tears and placed a firm hand on her friend's back, moving it around in small circles.

"Noct, I didn't mean to say that," she tried to find the right words to tell the prince. She wished for once that she had past memories and experiences from her pre-army life. "I just don't like seeing you so distressed. Even if it is my fault…" she added as her voice trailed off.

"Perhaps, could you tell me more about Stella?"

Noctis sniffled a little and looked up at Lightning.

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, I've read that talking about someone you lost is better than holding emotions and feelings in. Maybe we'll both feel better after a few stories."

The prince stared blankly back at Lightning.

"Alright I'll start: Did Stella ever do anything really silly or stupid? I mean like embarrassing or weird?"

Noctis finally got a grip on his surroundings. "Well," he began as he dried a few final tears with a swipe of a hand, "the first thing that comes to mind is a story she told me. When she was ten she decided that she wanted to go to a costume party as fairy."

Lightning smirked. _Stella as a fairy princess; that was perfect._

"Rather than buying a costume, she decided to raid her mother's closet and found her wedding dress."

"Oh no," Lightning said.

Noctis cracked a small smile. "But the dress didn't fit and it wasn't the right color. So she cut it apart and took some acrylic paint to decorate it. She got in so much trouble for that.

"What about you Lightning? Anything funny?"

"I think my favorite funny memory is from that crummy orphanage I told you about. I remember this one girl, I forget her name, but she hated me for some reason. She used to call me Miss Cotton Candy, because of my hair color." As she said that, Lightning pointed to her curly hair.

"It's more blond than pink," Noctis replied.

"Well, I hated that name, so this one day, I think it was around winter time, I stole some lime green punch power from the kitchen, took me about three weeks, and then, while the girl was sleeping, I dyed her hair."

The prince's mouth dropped. Lightning laughed.

"Like Stella, I got in so much trouble. Thirty whacks from the head of the orphanage, some missed meals, and I got stuck with bathroom duty for abut four months."

"Was it worth it?"

"Of course it was! She never teased me again. And actually, I apologized to her and she and I became sort of friends. She was still ticked about the color thing, but, hey, what's past is past right?"

The prince smiled. "Thanks for the story."

"You're most welcome, highness.

"Besides," Noctis then felt Lightning's hand run through his hair, "I kind of missed your messy hair and -"

She stopped in mid sentence when her fingers moved across a defined indentation in his head. There was no explanation needed for how that got there. But rather than say something about it, Lightning just pushed her fingers away from the bump and acted as if nothing had happened.

"And?" Noctis asked.

Lightning tossed her head a little, as if shaking off a bad nightmare. "Sorry, just remembering things that I shouldn't."

"Oh."

She moved her hand out of the tangled hair. As she did, Noctis noticed a small, metal button on Lightning's index finger. Curiosity took over as he grasped the hand palm side up so he could see the button.

"I've never seen this before," he muttered.

"It's a reminder that I was once an experimental toy for the Algentian army." A frown formed on Lightning's face. "I'll show you what it is sometime later."

"And on that note," Noctis yawned, "I should get some sleep." He then got up and started to walk back to the boy's tent.

"You're welcome to sleep in my tent."

Noctis stopped. "Why?"

"Well," she started as she rolled her eyes, "you let me into your room, so I'm repaying the favor."

Noctis once again smiled and hung is head bashfully. "Since when did you have a sense of humor?"

"Since you decided to go into the depressing corner your highness."

"That's kind of you, but I think I'll stay with the guys. Besides you need rest."

"Thanks Noct."

Noctis nodded and crawled into the tent. From the outside, Lightning saw the prince's shadow come to rest on the ground. Hopefully, he would get some rest now.

Her eyes then shifted to the crackling fire that lit a small area in front of her. Lightning took a deep breath and extended her hands in mid air. She then let her fingers move up and down, as if they were playing the keys on an imaginary piano.

Two years locked away as a science experiment had taken a toll on her playing skills. She could feel that her fingers had stiffened a little and slowed her response in hitting the right notes. Her finger spans had also suffered. However, these were temporary and would disappear once she got back to practicing.

Her fingers were playing some piece by Mozart, perhaps _Ave Verum, _when all of a sudden, a few fingers subconsciously twitched and hit different notes. _Fa mi ti re mi, Fa do._

Lightning froze. Where the heck did those notes come from?

She thought of all the pieces she knew. But none of the melodies she knew of had that exact tune. Where had she learned that? Maybe the memories of her childhood…were they resurfacing again?

Palms up, Lightning simply stared at them. Her mind was too preoccupied to hear a very groggy yawn as Rex stepped out of his tent and walked over to Lightning. Her body tensed when she felt a sturdy hand on her back.

"You alright," asked Rex.

"Ye…Yeah, just a little too tired," Lightning responded.

Without another word, Lightning got up and walked to her tent. "Night Rex," she said before retiring for the night. Once inside and curled up in a borrowed blanket that Quinn had packed and her scarlet cape, she closed her eyes. Under her breath, the mysterious notes she had played were being hummed in her head. They were the lullaby that drifted her to sleep.


	32. Rapture

**Author's Note:** *hits head* I am so sorry for not updating. Once again school and life, plus a nasty case of writer's block got the better of me. But now I'm back and with a chapter that's going to set up something a lot of you have been waiting for.

Thanks for all the hits and reviews guys. Enjoy!

* * *

Two days after leaving the base, Snow and his group were twenty miles southeast of the forest, inside of Calm Lands inhabited regions. Snow held is eyes on the slowly disappearing figures of Vanille and Hope. He knew that they would be fine. Before parting, he had given the two a small button that Marqui had found from a few of the Algentian scout uniforms NORA had recovered. According to the teen, there was a tracking chip in the button that had allowed the army to check where the scouts were traveling to. Marqui had, through a few little changes and tweaks, managed to reprogram the chips to let NORA track anyone who went on recon missions.

When Vanille and Hope were out of sight, he silently waved his hand in an up and down motion. On queue, the group of twenty put on the remainder of their disguises: Algentian scooter helmets. They would travel at a safe distance from Vanille and Hope, so that they could intercept them at the right time.

"Let's go guys," Snow yelled.

Their mission had begun.

* * *

A full week had passed since the prince of Tenebrae had disappeared from his kingdom. During that time many important lessons were learned: Rex had an allergy with red colored berries, wild forest chocobos were not friendly, Quinn was usually right when it came to traveling with a map, Lightning was a girl, and that Noctis was an attractor of random and dangerous bugs. During their travels, they slowly got closer and closer to Algentia.

On the ninth evening of the journey, Noctis had once again had trouble falling asleep. And just like the last time, Lightning had been on guard duty. Rather than watching her surroundings, she seemed to be doing something with her fingers. As Noctis neared, Lightning seemed unaware of his presence.

"Evening Lightning," the prince finally said.

"Hey Noct," Lightning replied.

He sighed as he took a seat next to Lightning by the fire. She looked incredibly tired, with prominent dark circles under her eyes. Her fingers had stopped moving and were now lying on her lap.

"You, would you like to use my shoulder?" Noctis asked.

"No."

"You sure, you just look exhausted."

Lightning gave the prince an annoyed look.

"I'm trying to be nice to you."

"I know you are."

Noctis smiled a little. She was being stubborn again. However, the tiredness and the yearning to sleep caught up to Lightning. It wasn't long before her head was resting on the prince's shoulder. He said nothing about her apparent change of mood.

The two said nothing for sometime. It was Noctis then that broke that silence.

"Lightning," Noctis whispered.

"Hm," she murmured incoherently back.

"Can I ask you something?"

Lightning's voice was quiet. "Sure."

"Do…what would be the one thing that you've wanted to know?" He simply wanted to know out of curiosity.

Lightning was silent for a moment, before replying, "Who am I and what my purpose is?"

Noctis nodded. _That makes sense for Lightning._

"Thank you," he whispered back.

The two then sat in silence, apart from the calmed breaths of Lightning. She must have dozed off. The prince knew she was exhausted, even if she wasn't telling anyone. It amazed him how well she could hide her emotions. Even he, with all of his lessons, could still crack under the pressure of the media. But Lightning was something else. She never complained, but she couldn't be fine with everything that was going on. The girl had been betrayed by her own government, thrown to the dogs of science, and had no idea who she was as a child.

He pitied Lightning. But it was that fact that made Lightning so intriguing to the prince.

During his contemplation, Lightning fell asleep, but Noctis didn't mind it. He rather enjoyed it, even if she was sleeping through her guard duty.

She looked so peaceful, at ease with everything that was happening.

"Lightning…" he whispered. "Right now, you're the only other person who is even close to understanding my responsibility with the crystal. I'll protect you…I'll always protect you, with everything that I have."

He wanted to say love, but Stella…she was still there. He was still, in a way, bound to Stella, to her love and her memories. It seemed like no matter how many times he tried to forget her, but she couldn't. Stella was always there.

The prince sighed. Perhaps, for just this one moment, he could focus of Lightning, and not Stella.

* * *

Hours later, the rest of the group had awoken and were now cleaning up the campsite to continue moving forward. Noctis had been restless for about two days. His senses were on the defense when he felt some sort of shift in the crystal. Something was moving towards the group. What that thing was, he was unsure. Lightning had a suspicion that the PSICOMs were the things that were moving. But at the moment, all the group could do was try and keep out of the way of the pack.

At moment, Lightning had awoken and was now helping Adrian pack a tent. The Quinn had gotten out the map he had brought and was staring at it intensely while the others cleaned up the camp site.

"What's going on?" a curious Rex finally asked as he peered over Quinn's shoulder.

"If we're following the map, there should be a town, named Alexander, five miles north east of our position." He then pointed to a little dot on the map. "I was thinking about having Lightning sneak in and get supplies for us."

"Oh I see."

"There's just one thing," Quinn added.

"What?"

Quinn then moved his finger along a trailing line of yellow ink on the map, which encircled the town and those nearby. "That town is the territory line between northern Ivalice and Algentia."

"Well," Rex said as he streaked his arms, "we have a soldier and a prince who both have the power of the crystal. I'm sure we'll be alright."

Quinn simply fiddled with his glasses. "I suppose you're right. It just never hurts to be safe."

When the campsite was cleaned up, the group headed out. Rex and Adrian held up the rear, taunting each other or enjoying the scenery that they were walking through. In front of them was the prince, who looked like he was in complete concentration. His eyes were now entirely scarlet and would likely remain that way for the rest of the journey. Beside him was Quinn, holding a compass and the all important map. And leading the pack was Lightning, scanning every direction for a possible threat.

All of them likely smelled like the forest, as there was no chance for any of them to shower or bath in a week. Their hairs were completely disheveled, and looked like wild chocobo. But apart from those minor issues, everyone was healthy and mostly rested.

After an hour of walking, Lightning stopped dead in her tracks and pulled out her gunblade. This caused everyone else to halt.

"What's wrong?" asked Rex.

"Do you guys smell smoke?" replied Lightning.

The boys then started to take sniffs of the air. Sure enough there was the tell tale smell of burnt wood.

"Oh thank heavens," Adrian said, "CIVILIZATION!" He then ran like a hound following a rabbit's scent in the direction of the smoke, completely forgetting the whole fact that he was with a group that needed to stay together.

"Adrian!" Lightning screamed. She then ran off after him. Soon Rex, Noctis, and Quinn followed behind her. There was a shock that Adrian could actually run as fast as he could with the amount of camping supplies on his back. But soon the group found that he had conveniently ditched his supplies, leaving behind a trail of empty cans, blankets and other odd tools. All the while as the four ran, the smell of smoke grew more prevalent.

As she ran, Lightning saw momentary flashes of a creature that looked like a fortress, with great wings perhaps, that moved on the ground like the tanks she had seen in training. The sensation of the beast became greater as she ran.

After a few minutes the group finally found Adrian, who was standing in a clearing at the very edge of the forest. He was staring at something, but it was only when the rest of the group caught up with him that they saw what had caused Adrian to stop.

There was no town. All they saw was a series of charred buildings, blackened stone, and the remains of a few smoldering fires.

"Guess that's the town," Rex finally said.

"Correction, Rex. It _was_ a town," commented Adrian.

"We should move on," spoke Quinn, with a hint of disappointment and sadness in his voice.

Everyone then started back into the woods, except for Lightning.

"Are you coming, Light?" Adrian asked.

She shook her head from side to side. "There's something in there."

"Huh?"

Adrian didn't have a chance to ask his question again, because Lightning was already running toward the town.

"Hey! Oh, GIRLS!" huffed Adrian. "They're all insane!" He then stomped on after her. Wanting not be separated, the rest of the boys trailed behind.

Upon reaching the remains, the sight was a bit more gruesome. The town looked like it was of a fairly descent size, with all the buildings. But everything was destroyed. There was no sign of life, as if the town had never existed before. The only sound was the crackling of a few smoldering fires that must have been burning for days.

Lightning walked further into the town, trying her best to hold back a few tears. She was followed by Quinn. Rex and Noctis solemnly walked in the opposite direction, leaving a stunned Adrian to explore things on his own.

"Something's wrong," Noctis finally said when he and Rex stopped walking and took a seat besides one of the many dilapidated buildings.

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a gut reaction."

Rex scratched his head, "You know that gut of yours is right ninety-nine percent of time."

"That is what makes me so uneasy."

Lightning and Quinn, meanwhile, had not uttered a word. Quinn was shocked by the scene. He had seen pictures in history books and magazines of scenes like this, but he never imagined that he would be walking, or experiencing, those scenes. Lightning, however, was all too familiar with this scenery.

Lightning's attention then turned to a charred wall. Quinn followed her curious of what she had seen. Something in the object caught her eyes. Upon closer inspection, she noticed three long parallel lines, dug into the rock. She then followed the pattern with her fingers.

"A summon," she muttered under her breath. Her hand remained on the wall as she bowed her head. "Algentia did this. They were here."

Quinn remained silent. It wasn't his place to say something.

Adrian had been kicking through some of the rubble out of frustration. It emanated a "crunch" sound with each swipe. So it took him by surprise when the sound became "clink". He bent down and brushed off a few bits of wood to discover a glowing stone.

"Hey guys," yelled Adrian. Lightning and Quinn ran towards their companion. Noctis and Rex soon joined them in running to Adrian. They soon joined in what must have been the town's hall.

In his hand was a lime green stone that was in the shape of a multi-pointed star.

"I think it's a crystal," Adrian spoke.

Lightning immediately grabbed the stone out of Adrian's had, causing him to fuss a little. This must have been the presence that she had felt: a creature of some sort, like Shiva, but with a more terrifying might and power. "There is no way that they would leave a crystal behind like this. Unless…"

As she was talking aloud, Noctis placed a gloved hand on the ground, and listened. Within seconds he sensed the presence of some powerful and well hidden men.

"It's a trap!" he yelled.

Out of a few building appeared a group of seven, heavily armed PSICOM infantry. Their helmets glowed with an eerie neon orange and blue. They all carried heavy automatic weapons, which were subsequently being aimed at Lightning, Noctis, and their friends.

One of the men then ran toward Lightning. That was a poor choice as she quickly kicked the man in the chest and knocked him to ground. She then sprinted towards the other infantry men, ready to strike. Noctis had responded by summoning his swords, which now spun around him, Quinn, Rex, and Adrian.

Two other PSICOMs ran to attack the prince. Noctis simply waved his fingers once at the men and a series of light blue streaks of light hit them. He smirked, thinking that he had taken care of them, but that smirk faded when a hailstorm of bullets hit his shield. The PSICOMs had been wounded, but they had healed.

"What in Etro's name…" he murmured.

Lightning was having similar difficulties. The PSICOMs couldn't lay a finger on her, what with his aerobatic tricks and flips over all the infantry, but neither could she. Whenever she tried to punch one and fell, it would get right back up, as if nothing had happened. They were even blocking a few of her kicks, nearly tripping her a couple of times.

After about ten minutes of fighting, Lightning finally lost her edge and was caught by about ten men. One of them pulled out a pocket knife and placed it at Lightning's throat.

"Your Highness," the assumed leader of this group of PSICOM said, "I believe that we have someone who is quite important to both of us." He then made sure that Lightning was fully visible. She continued to thrash and kick the men who were holding her.

Noctis's eyes went wide when he saw Lightning.

"If you come with us peacefully," the commander continued, "we won't have to hurt your friend."

"Let her go!" screamed Noctis.

The commander response was simply pressing the knife deeper into Lightning's neck. She seemed to be terrified, but the look in her ever growing tinted yellow eyes said differently. They begged for Noctis to escape, to let her die for his sake so that he could continue.

"It's your choice, highness: do you really want a comrade to suffer so much?"

The prince was silent for a moment. Adrian, Rex and Quinn had stood behind him and were now looking at their friend. If he was his father, Noctis would have simply let Lightning die. It was his life that he cared about, not that of others.

Yet Noctis was not Giovanni.

He twitched a few of his fingers, causing the silver and blue barrier that had surrounded him to disappear. Lightning meant too many things to him. Bowing his head in shame, he then knelt on the ground, prepared to enter custody.

The commanding officer nodded his head. A dozen PSICOM soldiers stepped forward and began to disarm and bound the group. Meanwhile, the commanding officer turned his back to the prince and his entourage and placed a call through his helmet's headset.

"Give me command. Tell General Lorelei that her prince and pet have been found."

* * *

A couple of days since separating from NORA, Vanille and Hope were captured by the Algentian PSICOM's. As Snow had predicted, all of the captured civilians would be taken by trains into Algentia.

And now the two, along with a group of others, were standing on a platform, surrounded by Algentian guards, waiting for the train to arrive. Everyone was wearing long white robes, adored with a metal headpiece that had two suspended tubes. These were electronic, controlling the robes so that the sleeves remained cuffed and locked. They were prisoners, being led to their new lives inside of Algentia.

The only sound that could be heard was the scuffling footsteps of the prisoners. This was interrupted by the sound of the approaching train. Vanille looked in awe as a silver steel train of smooth lines arrived at the station. Some of the captives of the platform started crying. Others were too terrified of the fate that lay beyond the train to look. Hope was of the latter group.

"I'm scared," he whispered to Vanille, wishing that his hands were free to hold one of hers.

Vanille turned to the side, the blue and silver adornments and headpiece of her robe swinging with her. "It'll be alright," she replied. "Just think how happy these people will be when we save them."

"But, but what if we don't-"

"We will Hope. We will."

Vanille then smiled. Even if she was really scared, terrified even, she had to be cheerful to help Hope.

The train came to a stop and the pressurized steel doors slid open. Everyone was then slowly led onto the train and assigned seats facing the inner compartment. As the prisoners took their seats, Vanille overheard the chatter of a few guards.

"Is this the last shipment?" one of the masked guards on the train asked a nearby guard.

"No," the other replied. "Got a special delivery about eighty miles south of here."

"Must be important!"

"Very."

Vanille wondered what this delivery was. Questions filled her mind as she sat back in her chair. The train started moving, and things that were yet unseen were set in motion.


End file.
